To Ifficial Blog Of Messian Dread

Sunday, October 5, 2008

COLUMN: THE CHRISTIAN CODE

COLUMN: THE CHRISTIAN CODE




There is a "Christian Code". It's a Code of behavior that goes very deep, even though most people will probably never realize it.

The reason for that is, that the Code has nothing to do with Christian Livity, and everything with Babylonian standards.


Most "Christians" who live according to the Code are not Christian at all. They're just good Babylonians in a good Babylonian state religion. Their "Jesus" actually is the god of this world order.

I found this out the hard way, and at a very young age. Both Church and State were exactly the same thing. When I went to school, I engaged the same thing as in the "Church".

Just like the steeples, pointing in the air like the judging finger of a hateful dictator, everything pointed out to this message: "Be a good Babylonian".

And we all know what a good Babylonian is: a mind-controlled slave, unconscious. When you ever saw the movie "The Matrix", especially the first episode, you know what I'm talking about.

Ask questions, Question Authorities, and you will engage abuse. You will be made fun of, as you're considered to be a danger to the Order. And everything will be done in the Name of the One they claim to follow: Jesus Christ.

When I was a child, these "Christians" would traumatize me. They would make it very clear that I was never to think that I would ever be a part of their group. They would make it clear, that "God" would never accept anyone outside of their group, too.

I carry the scarves on my soul until this day.

At a very young age, I made a conscious choice to be with Satan. After all, they had given me the idea that "Jesus Christ" was the god of this world order. And since I did not, and still do not, fit in that order, I figured I would than be better off walking with Satan, the outcast.

So I thought...

After listening to Reggae Music for years, I found out that the god of the order is in fact Satan! And when Jah put me in a position where I had to bow down for Yesus Kristos, I became a Christian myself.

Did anything change?

Yes, and no.

I changed. I am redeemed, I am freed, I am saved. I have a living relationship with the Living God, Yesus Kristos.

However, I am still being abused by others who call themselves "Christian". In fact, the abuse is even stronger than in the past! Especially, since I now consider many of these people to be my brothers and sisters. But this consideration is not vice versa, that has become quite clear.

I still break the Code, and so I will still face what I am facing all my life: a continual realization that I will never be a part of the World Order.

But the difference is, that I know the truth now. I know, that the "Jesus" of Babylon is in fact Satan pretending to be an angel of light. I know, that the mind-controlled slaves who live in their "Christian" matrix are the ones who follow Satan.

And the difference is also, that I know about the Code. I know, that it is good to break the Code. I know, that breaking the Code has nothing to do with being disobedient to the Almighty. In fact, obedience to Jah is to break the Code!

THE IMAGE OF GOD: A TRINITY!

THE IMAGE OF GOD: A TRINITY!


Throughout the centuries, many examples are given to explain how the Most High can be three-in-one. But the best example is given by the Most High Himself!

Throughout the history of Christianity, people have been continually debating the question about the Nature of God. One says: "God is One", and a second person will say: "God is Three". A third person will come up and say "God is Three-in-One", or: a Trinity!

Orthodox Christianity has always acknowledged God to be a Trinity. The Ethiopian Emperor's name "Selassie", for example, means "Trinity". Here is an old Ethiopian picture of the Trinity:



A question that is directly related to this debate, is the question of the nature of Jesus Christ Himself. Some people claim, that He is not God but a created being. And they usually point out to a number of Bible scriptures that say "God is One" while they point out to what seems to be a physical impossibility: 1+1+1 can never be 1, they say. And while we have a Father, a Son and a Spirit, they will say that only the Father is God.

Is this an important issue? Absolutely.

If Jesus is not God, than he is a created being, for only God is the Creator. And if Jesus is a created being, then this means that a created being can save another created being. And if a created being can safe another created being, this means that salvation can be achieved without direct action by Jah Himself!

But for now, let's turn to the debate and consider how people who oppose the Deity of Jesus Christ say that 1+1+1 can never be 1 according to physical laws.

So, is that true? And did Jah not give us a clue to His nature being a Trinity?

I believe, that in the debate about the Trinity, one aspect or argument if you will is rarely if ever debated. And that argument is one given by the Creator Himself!

According to the Bible, we as humans are created "in the Image of God". This means, that Jah used Himself as a blueprint when He created us. Something of His nature can be seen back within our human nature, even in our fallen sinful state.

When Jah is a Trinity, would it be a surprise for you to find out, that you too are a trinity?

When Jah created us, He created us in three aspects. One aspect is seen by everyone, a second aspect is acknowledged by most and a third aspect will only "activate" after we have become born again while most people will mistake it for the second aspect.

Sounds too vague? Let me mention the three aspects.

They are body, soul and spirit!

Our body or flesh is seen by everyone, our soul is acknowledged by most and our spirit will only become alive after we're born again while most people will mistake the spirit for the soul.

So yes, Jah is definitely a Trinity, as He showed in what He himself calls "His Image", namely: we!

And so yes, Jesus Christ is definitely God, thus showing that only JAH can save us. It's not for nothing, that Jesus means "Jah is our Saviour".

One Love,
Messian Dread

TESTIMONY: FROM BIRTH TO REBIRTH

TESTIMONY: FROM BIRTH TO REBIRTH

I was born in the month of November in the year 1965, in a town somewhere in Fryslan, the Netherlands. My father was a teacher but more than that: he was a preacherman in the Pentecostal church. My mother had been praying all through her pregnancy, she told JAH that if I would be born, I would be completely JAH’s.

I don’t know whether my mother was driven by the Spirit of JAH to give me to Him, or whether it was out of her own initiative. It doesn’t really matter either. But it did have a result and part of that can be seen in my works.

Works that could not be done before I would be born again. And that was a thing nobody could decide for me to go through, but myself. And I would eventually do so, in the 19th year of my life.

My mother’s decision was a spiritual one, and appearantly it was known in the spiritual realms what she had done. Also within the realms of spiritual wickedness in low places. And so the evil ones would try their utmost best to keep me from being born spiritually. They would have to try to prevent me from becoming a true son of JAH through Yesus Kristos, “by all means neccesary”.

In retrospective it is clear that there were several spiritual attempts to end my physical life, even before I was born. And when it was time for me to leave my mother’s womb, it turned out that not everything was the way it goes in normal births either. My umbilical cord was knotted, and if I had made one wrong movement, I would not have survived…

When I grew up, I was spiritually aware without knowing that I was. How could I, I was only a child. There was no question to me, as to whether “God” existed or not. There was no question for me, if “satan” exists or not. There was no question for me, as to whether “spirits” existed.

But that didn’t mean I grew up as a “believer”. Quite the contrary, I might add.

I don’t really know what triggered it, even though I have my ideas. But these are not really relevant at this moment. It’s a fact, that my spiritual awareness did not lead me to accepting Yesus Kristos as my Lord God and Saviour.

In fact, I rebelled!

Sure, I can blame it on the fact that because of my father’s occupation in the Pentecostal church I was seriously traumatized.

After all, the Pentecostal church was considered a “sect” by the traditional reformed protestant churches and most children I grew up with had parents that were members of these traditional churches. This was appearantly their way of expressing what their parents felt about my parents..

But I won’t.

I can blame it on the fact that within the Pentecostal church that my parents went to, I was also the subject of ridicule and rejection.

After all, I was kind of different than most kids around me. I asked questions they couldn’t answer and had interests they never heard of.

But I won’t.

In fact, I won’t blame it on anyone else but myself!

As I see it now, I was born a rebel. And this is, as far as I can see, caused by the fact that my mother gave me to JAH even before I was born.

This might sound contradictionary, I’m aware of that. I think that JAH made me in a certain way which in the beginning might have caused me to not want to follow Yesus Kristos, but after almost two decades would form a foundation which enabled me to do what I am currently doing.

After all, being a rebel doesn’t neccesarily mean dealing with evil. When you’re a rebel, you have to lead yourself rather than being led by ones who claim authority over you for no reason at all. And little did I know about the True Authority, that of JAH the Most High!

But I’m running ahead of myself, here…

At a very young age, even on Kindergarten, I wondered why all the other children did exactly what the school-teacher said. I wondered why they believed what they were told.

In short, I did what I consider to be very important: I “questioned authorities”. As a matter of my nature, that is.

I saw that there was no real reason as to why these “athorities” should be seen as such. I basically saw these “authorities” as downpressors, whose only “argument of power” was: brute force.

This brute force could be “disciplining”, or social pressure from the other children in my class who felt safe defending the “authorities” and used that feeling of safety to pick on what they thought was a weaker individual.

And sure enough, I was. The school-bullies elected me to be their victim, the teachers decided I was a pain their neck, in the church it was no different and so all of this grew a hate in me that only Yesus would take away years later.

Little did I know, back then. And the least of what I knew had to do with myself and who I am. From a very early age, I saw everything from a different perspective than most people do. I asked questions that most people were unable to answer and if they did answer, it was in the form of ridicule and –again- brute force.

The message that came out of everything, was: “You must become like us or face brute force and ridicule”.

In the same time, I knew that somehow the Christians were right but I could not connect with them. Just like I could not connect with most other people either…

Did I make the mistake to think, that JAH is the Same One as the Christians allways speak about? And when I say “Christians” I use that term very loosely. Did I think that JAH wanted me to be someone I was not, ignoring the non-answers to my sincere questions?

I am afraid I did, to a certain extend.

And so, at a young age of about 9 or so, I made a conscious choice to be with Satan rather than with Jesus Christ. After all, if I was to be different and the subject of ridicule, I could just as much change the table and start to ridicule them…

Things really went bad after that, and I believe that I was possessed by demons from a very young age allready. There are several instances I can remember, in which supernatural entities actually entered me and they only left after I would have given my life to Yesus Kristos at the age of 19.

Let me give two examples.

One evening, I was basically chilling out on my bed. I saw a light in my room, a very small light. But it moved. It made some crazy movements before it… entered me.

Another time, I heard a voice in my spirit that told me: “as soon as you will breathe in, I will enter”. Well, I couldn’t keep my breath all my life, and so that entitie went in as well.

I also knew, that Jah was calling me. I knew I had to be with Him. There was even one instance, in which He called me by my name, audibly! I was very much afraid, and I ran away as fast as I could from the room I was in, when I heard His voice.

In all of this, my parents were very well aware of the spiritual nature of what was happenning with me. I would start to curse without reason, I would lose control over myself repeatedly and was basically driven by hate.

Due to my possession in that time, I am not sure what was “me” and what was caused by the demons that possessed me. You see, they possess you which means they take control. They will make you think that you actually think yourself, but all they do is projecting their own thoughts and feelings to you. They are spiritual parasites!

Needless to say, I was pretty confused. I walked around with upside-down crosses, blasphemed and cursed as much as I could, was being ruled by forces that made me do things I could not control and would regret.

Then, at a certain moment, I came to hear Reggae Music. This music touched me very deep! It was a track called “Five Nights Of Bleeding” by DUB Poet Linton Kwesie Johnson. The deep Drum and Bassline appealed to me in a special way. What I didn’t realize, that the music was the rhythm of the Hand that knocked on my door.

Obviously, I decided that I wanted to listen to more Reggae Music. And in the years that followed, I would slowly start to recognize that a lot of Reggae Music would be highly respecting “Jah Rastafari”. I learned, that Jah Rastafari was actually the Name and function of the very same God that my parents and all these Christians served!

Until this day, I am grateful to the Most High that He used the music to show me that He indeed was Rastafari, the Head Creator. Where I was in a state of war with everything remotely connected with what I would perceive as “Christian”, JAH used Reggae Music to introduce Himself to me.

I knew, that dreadlocks had to do with righteousness, too. And I knew to the fullness, that I was as far from righteousness as far can be. I could not wear dreads myself, however I did know that I had to listen to what the dreadlocksmen had to say.

But I was still possessed, even though I had stopped wearing satanic things and all of that ever since I started listening to Reggae Music. I had slowly come to realize that I was to respect Yesus Kristos, but I was suffering from possession by entities that hated Yesus Kristos to the max!

I came to know this man, who grew his dreadlocks. Or at least, so he said. He was much older than me, and he turned out to be a Satanist. I thought he was a Rasta and I thought that this was the connection I felt with him. But in truth, the connection I felt was the connection of the demons that possessed us and this man turned out to be a wolfe in sheep’s clothing and a dangerous one, too.

I had been “playing” spiritual “games” with him. Here’s just one example: He would hold his hand in a fire and show how it would not burn. I would do the same. And this would go on and on. He just couldn’t win what I thought were “innocent games”… He did not like that, which would become deadly clear on that particular day I came and drank a cup of tea with him.

I remember it as if it was yesterday. It was the 6th of august, in 1985. The day I became spiritually born again.

He stared me right in my face and he told me: “You are a dog, that barks too much. In the tea you just drank, I put a poison which kills dogs that bark too much. It won’t be traceable in the body and works in an hour”.

I knew he wasn’t lying, but still I wouldn’t show him fear. I asked him if he had another cup of tea and he told me it was in the kitchen. I drank it before his eyes, and told him I had to go.

I was literally frightened to death!

I knew I wasn’t right with JAH, and I knew I was about to stand before His throne with no excuse whatsoever. It was then, that I finally bowed down and asked Yesus to come into my life as my Lord and Saviour.

I am ashamed, to write this down. It’s not something I’m proud of.

Even though I was showing some “spiritual strength” towards this Satanist, I was a coward. I knew Jah was calling me, I knew He would accept me every time, but only when I knew I was going to die within an hour is when I would finally bow down and accept Him, Yesus Kristos, as my Lord God and Saviour.

Finally, my real life could begin. The life, that Jah choose for me the moment my mother gave me to Him before I was born.

BIBLE MEDITATION: SIGNS AND SIGHTS

BIBLE MEDITATION: SIGNS AND SIGHTS


Those who know a little bit about the runnings in the world today, know a little bit about it's alarming situation.

Or should I say: situations? After all: wars, pestilences, earthquakes and tsunami's are just four situations...

Watching the news for five minutes and realizing the implications of it, is enough to drive someone completely insane.


Add to that, the ancient prophecies. It doesn't take a life-long of studying the book of the Apocalypse to realize how everything is being described in a rather realistic way. Even the New Agers have their doomsday, set around December 2012.

Many people who know themselves to be saved by Yesus Kristos are very much afraid, too. They know, that the signs-of-the-times are in full effect and one of these signs is a persecution as never before seen on the face of the earth. Our Lord also referred to a return of "the days of Noah", of which research has unearthed some very disturbing things too.

And while we have to suffer persecution on a global scale as part of our direct future, the ones who will persecute us will have to endure an even greater judgement as the angels of JAH pour out expressions of His wrath on Babylon system and the wicked one(s).

Reasons to be disturbed? You bet!

And so, many are disturbed indeed...

But let's look a little further.

How do we know about all these things? Or even better: Who told us all these things? Why do we know them to be true? Is it not because we are convinced by the Holy Spirit of Jah Himself?

And so, when we listen to His Voice, we must listen to His complete voice. And please don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this as some kind of critique. I'm saying it as an encouragement.

Let's quote our good Lord God and Saviour Yesus Kristos:

And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all [these things] must come to pass, but the end is not yet. (Matthew 24:6)

What we are beholding, are the signs and fulfillments of prophecy. Like a woman giving birth to her child, everything will intensify until this point in time called "the end".

So what we are looking at, is the last of this time wherein injustice and Babylon system seem to run things. When everything is fulfilled, we will behold a New Heaven and a New Earth. That's where everything leads to.

So let us see that we are not troubled. We will suffer, but this sufferation will not be as much as the ones who will endure Jah Wrath. And we will behold a New Heaven and a New Earth.

One Love,
Messian Dread

COLUMN: DEALING WITH SLACKNESS

COLUMN: DEALING WITH SLACKNESS


Reggae Music is a very special kind of music, that's for sure. To some, like me, it's a positive kind of music. Conscious and uplifting lyrics, but also the vibes in the music as well.

But for some others, it is quite different. In a recent discussion I participated in, one artist said how the enormous amount of slackness led him to separate himself from Reggae Music, as he couldn't stand the temptation and wickedness that often comes with slackness.

When you're into Reggae Music, sooner or later you will be confronted with the phenomena called "slackness". This term could be used to describe the pornographic lyrics and video-clips, that often accompany especially Dancehall works.

Now, some would say that every song about sex is to be seen as slackness, but I disagree with that. I mean, didn't Jah Himself create sex for a man and a woman to enjoy holy marriage? So why shouldn't there be songs about it?

But then, we all know that most slackness tunes will not be about that at all. It will be about, well, what you see: wickedness and immorality.

For people who have true faith in Jah Rastafari, whether they are Rastafarian or Christian or both, practicing slackness is a thing to avoid. That's a fact. Now sure, we can argue about just what is a marriage and all of that, but we all know that slackness is about fornication and so on.

So then, how does one who is a Christian, like me, deal with this fact? The brother in the discussion I referred to, removed himself from the scene. The reason for that was, as said, that he couldn't stand the temptation. And in his individual case, that could very well be the solution.

That's not the point.

The point is, that many people claim that when you are a Christian, you should do that. You should remove yourself from the scene, you should create your own little subculture or industry.

But when I read in the Bible, I see that generally spoken we should not do such a thing at all!

When Yesus Kristos prayed to the Father about us, people who would believe in Him, He asked:

    I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. (John 17:15)


And Paul, the apostle, said it this way:

    I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. (1 Corinthians 5:9,10)



It's clear: Jah does not want us to remove ourselves from the scene at all. Otherwise He would have prayed it to the Father. And Paul said very clearly, that you should avoid dealing with fornicators who claim they are Christian, but not at all with those who don't claim to be a Christian.

Yesus Himself gave the good example in this. But the result was, that He was called a drunkard and a visitor of prostitutes Himself. The Pharisees and other religious fascists removed themselves from the scene, so to speak, and started to judge everyone who was (still) communicating and dealing with the "slackness people" of the day.

Now, I don't want to say anything about the person in the discussion I refer to in this column. For the apostle Paul also said very clearly that when fornication is a temptation you should avoid that temptation yourself.

In fact, it is the only sin from where the Bible says we have to "flee". It is the only sin that has to do directly with our body.

    Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. (1 Corinthians 6:8 )


But that is a personal situation.

As the scriptures point out, we are to be strong, while we stay in the same situation wherein we were when we were called:

    Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called. (1 Corinthians 7:20)


So while we may be removing ourselves from being in a temptation we cannot resist, it is better to gain strength against that temptation, so that you will not have to flee.

For then we can do what Yesus prayed for, namely that we are being kept from evil, while being in the world. Then we can company with those people who do slackness, and try to tell them about the Message of Salvation that is for everyone.

Everywhere we go in this world, we will see slackness. I mean, when you go to the so-called Christian Industry, you will see the same. When you go to the so-called Churches, you will see the same. It's everywhere!

So then, what do we have to do? Continue to remove ourselves from every scene and culture and industry? No! The Bible is clear in that.

We should train ourselves into resisting temptation. We should ask Jah to make us immune as it were for the temptations. And we do so, by focusing ourselves to the things we have been given in Kristos.

When I was called, I was well into Reggae Music. The music had already been used by the Most High to teach me about His existence so to speak. I had already done my first steps in voicing over Dubs and you could say that I was eating, drinking and breathing Reggae Music continually.

Then I was called. It was august 6th, 1985. I spent a couple of years learning to know Jah on a personal basis, before Yesus showed me I am a Dreadlocksman and He led me to start up a band and so on.

As a band, and in other settings as well, I performed on stages where the average so-called "Gospel" band would never play. I have seen the enormous influence that Reggae Music can have, truly bringing some positive and good vibes where it is oh, so necessary. I review music by "non-Christians", et cetera. And all of these artists are responsible for themselves just what they do.

My own music will not carry slackness. It will not carry occultic messages either. My lyrics will be praising JAH, spreading the true Gospel of Yesus Kristos. But I will not be "preaching for the choir" as it were, in order to keep myself in some safe surrounding where I will never learn to resist temptation.

I'm not saying, that I'm perfect. Far from that! I'm not saying, that I never engage temptation or worse, fall into traps. I would be a liar, when I would claim such a thing. And yes, I have also removed myself from situations where the temptations were "too strong to resist" as it were.

But as I can look back to over 20 years in which I know myself to be born again through Yesus Kristos, and I see that even though I have sin in my flesh, Jah has kept me from evil, and while I stayed in the same calling as where I was in when I was called, He made me stronger and stronger until I reach where I am now.

I know, that just like Yesus was called a fornicator and a drunkard because He communicated with prostitutes and drank wine, so are some of His disciples called in the same way. I know, that some call me a fornicator and a "drug user" because I communicate with "slackness artists", reviewing their music and am not against herb smoking persay either.

But in this situation where I am in, being a reviewer and an artist and so on, I am who I am. I am (a) Messian Dread, I follow Yesus Kristos my Lord God and Saviour. I will tell everyone who wants to hear about the Salvation that is in Him. I will chant down Babylon and call people to step out of her.

May we all grow to be strong, to be immune for temptations, so that we can be fruitful in the calling wherein we were when we are called.

(march 2007)

COLUMN: WORD + SOUND = POWER?

COLUMN: WORD + SOUND = POWER?


When you listen to Reggae Music, especially Reggae Music created by Rasta artists, the phrase "Word, Sound and Power" will not be that unfamiliar to you.

And of course, ten different people will give ten different explanations as to what it exactly means. There are people who see a sort of magical formula described, others will use it as an argument in their opinion that you can't make DUB music that has some "power".

Obviously, I personally do not agree that when you are a conscious artist, when you have something to say, that you always have to do this with spoken or sung words in music. I have been releasing DUB tracks without lyrics for years now, and so that opinion should be self-evident as these musical works express this statement musically.

Fair enough, there's titles and track descriptions which reveal some things about these works. But Dub music without words will appeal to a different part of the brain than a lyrical track, because of the symbolic language in the music that has to be recognized and translated. In fact, that's one of the challenges in producing DUB Music.

The symbolical language that I "speak" in my Dub tunes, is open for different interpretations as the symbols will not always translate to the symbolical language of the listener. It's also not spelled-out like a lyric would do, and so one of the challenges of producing Dub music that way is to create music that will also appeal to the "symbolical illiterates", if you will allow me to use that term without any intention of disrespect from my side.

So in the same time, I do recognize the truth in the phrase. Words are needed in order to communicate a certain message. It is not for nothing, that our Lord God and Saviour Yesus Kristos calls Himself "The Word Of JAH" (John 1:1).

Throughout the years, my work as an artist has shown to be not limited to the discipline of making music. As you are reading this, for you it will be obvious that I am referring to the fact that I write. I write even more than producing music. And writing has everything to do with... indeed, Word!

These two go hand in hand, as they both express a certain feeling or thought I have during this development we call "life". But not necessarily.

It is possible, to check my musical works without ever reading one word of my articles and books. In the same time, it is possible to read my books and articles and don't check my music. I know this, because I receive feedback from people of both "groups".

But in order to fully check my work as an artist, it's not enough to just check the Word or to just check the Sound. Allow me to explain this with a brief example of a few years ago.

In 2005, I released an MP3 album with DUB music that did not have lyrics coming with them. Many of the titles and even track descriptions were kind of vague and open for different interpretation which was exactly the intention of the project. Everyone would have their own ideas about it, even when they didn't use the "key" I provided.

The title track "Skunk In The Room", was more or less a giveaway. Usually I make up my own titles, but this one was actually a quote. Or even better, a name.

A name given to me by someone who could not appreciate my writings about a commercial mixture of caricatures of Reggae, Rasta and Christianity, called Christafarianism. And so this person referred to me as a "skunk" in order to express the fact that I was making her kind of feeling uncomfortable with my words.

Those who checked my Word as well as my Sound, would already have the key. They would know, that I had just published a book about this all, and that I was in the middle of writing a second book about the same subject. They would know all about the "Skunk In the Room", too.

In the same time, "Skunk In The Room" could very well be interpreted as "having a little bit of marijuana in the house". The music would definitely suggest such a thing, and so did the picture that came with the track. If you wouldn't know about the things that I was writing about in that time, you would not have known what it was all about.

Without the Word, you would have heard the Sound, but you would not have discovered the "Power". And even with both Word and Sound, it's still not so that the Power will arrive automatically. For many will not even recognize the Power, when they are confronted with the Word and the Sound.

Which leads me to the title of this column.

I admit and confess, it's not really the accurate rendering of the phrase. For it is not the Word and Sound that makes the Power, even though it is often seen as such.

The phrase goes: Word, Sound and Power!

These three things go together. Threegether, you could say.

For in order to check out my work as an artist, it's not even enough to check out the Word and the Sound only. The Word and the Sound mean nothing, when they do not have the Power.

Just what is that Power, then? Surely it's not the energy needed to run a computer in order to upload material to the Internet. Surely it's not the Power as in "authority" either, even though it is.

But it's not my Power at all.

I don't have any Power. I could know everything there is to know, I could make Reggae Music and write in-depth articles about a wide variety of subjects and I could even be right in the things I say, but there would be no Power at all.

In my interpretation of Word Sound and Power as a description of my work as a musician and a writer/reviewer, I see the Power described in the words of my Lord God and Saviour, Who called Himself the Word.

He said: "Unto Me is given ALL POWER, in Heaven and on Earth".

So what are my words, what is my music, without that Power? Asking the question, is answering it.

That is the Power I discovered after I released my first tracks on MP3.com and they turned out to continually dominate the Reggae Download Charts for years in a row. That is the Power I discovered when I found out, how certain writings of me were used by JAH to help others forward in their quest for the truth.

It is not my Power, no not at all. I can't, won't, wouldn't ever try to even think about that.

And it's definitely not limited to my work as an artist, either. For my works reflect my life, and my life is in the Hands of He that has all power, in heaven and on earth.

But still, so many times we feel like we have to produce the Word and the Sound, our works if you will, in order to get that Power. It's true for artists, it's true for everyone!

I'm nobody special. The Power is special, though. But everyone can reach the Source of the Power.

That Power is the Holy Spirit of JAH Himself. And the Holy Spirit is a Comforter, a Helper, when we do what Jah wants us to do. And that is, in my opinion, the key.

I could make music, write articles, just for myself. I would never get any Power, even though I might think I do. But it is in obeying JAH Word and Sound, that the Power will manifest.

For it truly is JAH Himself, that gives Power. It's not a Power that we can direct, not even a Power we can "use" deliberately. It is a sovereign move of the Almighty Himself, Who uses us for His glory.

Let us be open vessels for Yesus Kristos, so that He can fill us with His Holy Spirit. Let us pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit on a daily basis, so that He can use us for His Word, His Sound, and His Power!

Amen, and Selah.

(march 2007)

BIBLE MEDITATION: THE BIG DILEMMA

BIBLE MEDITATION: THE BIG DILEMMA

There's a Bible Scripture that says in one sentence that we have to work out our own salvation, because Jah works out everything in us. Now what does that mean? A meditation.


    Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12b,13)

This text shows a dilemma, that many Christians are struggling with. Who works what, and why? Do we have to work out our own salvation, or is it Jah Who does all these things?

Word-studies give a more clear picture of the particular sentence. "To work out" (katergazomai) means as much as "do something thoroughly" and "salvation" (soteria) can be translated as "salvation", but also as "well being" or "health", as we can find for example in Acts 27:43.

When we look closely to the sentence, it actually says something like: "Because Jah works out the willing and the working in you, you must know who you are in Christ and be yourself Therein". Some people think, that we have to work out our own salvation, but it says that we have to be active with that which Jah does within us.

It's all about our response to the fact that Jah did everything. Our reaction to the fact, that Jesus wants to his fulfilled work to be expressed in us. Our reaction to the fact, that by being born again we have become a new creation.

The text also shows, that one thing does not rule out the other. The fact, that Jah wants His fulfilled work to be expressed in us, does not say that we therefore do not have to do anything. It even says: "with fear and trembling". This points out to a serious attitude.

But in the same time, we should not think that we are able to work out our own salvation, as it is being translated in the KJV. Paul is very clear about that in the second part of the sentence, which is not often quoted by ones who think we have to do it ourselves. Or you could say, that the Bible contradicts itself in the original texts.

The "well-being" or "salvation" that is talked about here, is about our situation in the here and now. It's about communion, unity, how to deal with feuds, these kind of things. The context of the whole book makes that quite clear.

Therefore, we have to be working with the things Yesus Kristos works out in us through His Holy Spirit. Even "with fear and trembling", that is "intense". We can find our will, that wants to do good, in the new spirit that we received when we were born again. Not within the sin in our flesh, with which we should not identify ourselves.

An active attitude, wherein with fitting worship and fear for the Most High, a reaction is being given to the fact that Jah works out everything within us.

(march 2007)

"YOUR NEGATIVES DEFINE YOU"

Column: "Your Negatives Define You"



It was during a long lecture, which I will review at a later stage, that I heard this thought-provoking statement. And the more I think about it, the more I see the accuracy in it.

I often am confronted with writings, articles, responses and so on, containing the words "positive" and "negative". No, I'm not an avid reader of electricity manuals. And I'm not involved in photography either.

We're speaking about material related to my Christian faith and spirituality. Religion, if you will or must. "Positive" and "Negative" have become code-words in what is generally known as "Christianity", and especially inside the circles of western evangelical Christianity.

I often speak out against the so-called "Christian Industry", and especially it's "Reggae" branch. The Christian faith has become a product and the faithful turned into merchandize. Sure, all very negative stuff.

As acknowledged by the Industrialists and their minions in whom I am sometimes having a discussion or confrontation with, that is. They will agree with me that my speaking out is very negative indeed.

But that's where the agreement stops. For many seem to think that "positive" and "negative" are standards according to which we must conclude our statements and beliefs and expressions. We must be "positive", "stricktly positive" as one organization advertises their products, eer, message...

Some might think in their ignorance, that "positive" and "negative" are just other words to express "good" and "evil", or "right" and "wrong".

But is that really so?

According to the Christian Industrialists and their minions, speaking out against the merchandizing of the Christian faith, even speaking out against the false teachings that that they preach to an often ignorant "public" or flock, is "negative".

But is it wrong? Is it evil?

Throughout the entire scripture, you will not find the words "positive" and "negative". But you will find a lot of positivity and a lot of negativity.

You could say, that "positive" is everything that can be agreed with, anything that can be embraced, and "negative" is everything you should not embrace, you should deny it and disagree with it.

But you cannot say, that not embracing a certain philosophy, or being in disagreement with the theological statements of certain self-proclaimed "preachers" and "teachers" and "pastors", in short: being negative, is therefore wrong.

The Most High Himself told us to have discernment. He Himself is negative a lot of times. But is Jah "evil" or "wrong"? I would not even dare thinking such a thing.

So we can simply conclude, that being negative does not mean being wrong or evil.

But it's very difficult to be negative in a dictatorship of alleged "positivity". The word is a keyword for a lot if not most people who profess themselves to be "Christian". Being brainwashed into somehow equating "good" and "right" with "positive", they have been conditioned to see "negativity" as "wrong" or even "evil".

Their alleged "positivity" (which in reality is really not that positive) is in reality a word to express their own chosen ignorance. It is a word that describes their comfort-zone. Their critical thinking faculties are not challenged, and in the same time they can follow their fleshly lusts for even more comfort (calling it "blessings" or "being anointed") under the guise of "good": it's "positive".

You can't speak about differences, you can't expose false teachers and preachers, you can't speak out and try to wake up those who profess to be Christians because they believe in "positivity" rather than Truth.

The result?

They have lost their identity, they have lost their foundation, they have lost their uniqueness with which they were created. That is because they never bother to deal with negativity. Everything that people do which enhances them in their "comfort zone", will drive them further away from being an individual and more into becoming a mindless slave of the political correctness of the day.

And then there came that statement.

"Your negatives define you".

And it's true!

The positivo's (I didn't make this one up, it's a national Dutch joke) don't have any identity. They could just be the next man. The Christian could be the Muslim. They don't deal with negativity, remember?

So their "positiveness" doesn't define them.

In fact, they don't want to. They call that "negative". It's "negative" to say that you do not believe Buddhism is the truth. It's "negative" to say that Christian Reggae Artists should not put themselves into their own little ghetto where they can safely make the Christian Faith into a product in a self-proclaimed "Christian Industry".

And with that, they even expose their own illogic. For the positivo's are often very, very negative.

When I read sometimes what certain people write about me, for example, just an example, is very negative too. And of course, it cannot be different. It identifies them for what they are: principal rejecters of critique, whether it truth or not. It defines them, for they do not love the truth as the truth is not their standard.

And when you look to the things I speak out against, the things where I am negative about, you will get a pretty good description of me too.

Of course I have positivity too. I think very positive about Reggae Music as a music, for example. And so I positively review music, even of artists where I do not agree with their own chosen spirituality or religion if you will or must.

So that doesn't really define me...

On the other hand, I speak out against Babylon. I speak out against "Hippieness" and other forms of Post Modern weakness. I speak out against false teachers and preachers who in the Name of my Saviour make my faith into a product in their Industry which they even named after the Lord to complete their list of sins with using His Name in vain! I speak out against those doctrines that the Bible calls "doctrines of devils".

And these negatives do indeed define me. They identify me as part of a group of people who are being negative about a certain thing.

The very word "Church" which proper use is to describe all those who know themselves to be born again through the Holy Spirit in Yesus' Name from all times and places, means: "group of people who are being called out of something". The real Christian Church is negative by it's very nature: it is a group of people that steps out of something.

This stepping-out defines the Christian Church.

So I tend to agree with the statement. Sure, I know there are some flaws in it, but as a general rule I think it's true and it can be of a tremendous help to see this statement working in reality as well.

(march, 2007)

JAH RASTAFARI, LET HIM BE PRAISED!

JAH RASTAFARI, LET HIM BE PRAISED!

It wasn't the Bible
it wasn't "Church"
it wasn't "Christians"

it was Reggae Music!

the means which JAH Rastafari used to call me.

He touched my soul with the sound of the drum and the bassline
playing a riddim
and introduced Himself to me
by His Name

JAAAAAAAAAH!

And I knew......

He
is
the Head Creator:

RASTAFARI!

And so
I know

It isn't the Bible,
even though His Holy Spirit teaches me what's written
It isn't the Church,
even though I know the word doesn't refer to no building
It isn't the Christians,
even though I know the name is used to follow antichrist.

It's what He did
For I,
for He
gave me life,
and eyes,
and ears.

I just want to praise
the HEAD CREATOR
He guides me
for HIS NAME's Sake


YAHOSHUAH RASTAFARI!

Let Him Be Praised

ForIver More.

(december 2006)

BE YOURSELF

BE YOURSELF

Reggae Music in 2006 is part of a world-wide culture, which started on Jamaica. It is obvious, that Jamaican Culture stands at the root of Reggae Culture. And it is obvious, how the Movement of Rastafari continues to play a central role within Reggae Music until this very day.

Just like music in itself cannot really be "religious", it is absurd to state that Reggae Music in itself is to be a Music for religious purposes. Personally, however, for me, it is. Reggae for me is a way to praise JAH.

And I am not the only one!

Reggae is known to have many artists who are deeply believing in JAH, the Creator of all. And these artists express their feelings and believes in a way which appeals to many people, even out-spoken "non-believers". In fact it can be said that the most succesfull Reggae Artists are predominantly Rastafarians who are faithfull in their believe in the Most High, with all variations one can find within the Movement of Rastafari.

This success has it's negatives sides...

We have seen, how world wide people were starting to wear the colours Red Gold and Green without actually knowing anything about the meaning of the colours.

The tri-colour (Green, Yellow, Red) has become a commercial trademark for anything related to Reggae, and in the Netherlands where I live, the coffeshop (where you can buy a very little bit of weed) often has the colours as well.

Dreadlocks is another issue. Ever since Rastafari became popular, dreadlocks became popular. People started to imitate and this has gone so far, that Rastafari has a difficult time presenting itself because of the many imposters and "adaptors".

I have written quite extensively about "Christafari", a "Gospel Reggae" group and organization, who deliberatly used a lot of Rastafarian expressions, transformed it according to their own ideas and purpose and simply (quote) "created a new culture with our fan-base".

By expressing how "God" would not want you to buy any other music than what they approve of (this is really true and no exaggeration), they have made a nice business for themselves, over the back of the true believers in JAH.

Christafari are consciously working on this. They know what they are doing, in fact Christafari's main man Mark Mohr learned it at his school, where they call it the "imitator method". (see provided link for all info and documentated evidence).

But it goes further.

Reggae Music allways had place for everyone, regardless of their religious views or (dis)beliefs. In relative peace and overstanding. This makes Reggae kind of special, for there is hardly any other musical style wherein people who believe in the Creator can express themselves without (too much) ridicule and insults from "anti-religious" folks.

In fact, it is predominatly the believing artist who made Reggae so popular: Bob Marley, name dem all...

And so, many people think that if they imitate elements from Rastafari, that they will increase their popularity in some way. And in the case of Christafari, the concept works.

But you don't have to be a part of the Christian Right in order to do such things. On the other side of the spectrum it's happening as well.

I myself have spoken with an artist who sings about "Rastafari", but he said to me he only used that word because he likes the tone...

And something tells me, that artist who told me how he didn't believe anything but said "Rastafari" just for the sound of the word is not the only one.

I think, that if ones do not believe in JAH, then they should not present themselves in their musical appearances and works as if they do. If ones do not believe that there is a Rastafari (Head Creator), then ones should not pretend that they do just because they know it appeals to people.

There is one positive aspect, though: even though there are many who simply pretend to be different than they are in reality, the message of JAH will allways ring through. Even though people use the Name of JAH in vain for their own purposes, His Name is so strong that people will allways be driven towards Him.

(december 2006)

Muta Baruka: A New Faculty of Interpretation (Plus Comments)

Greetings, the following article is written by Muta Baruka and might be interesting to read and/or comment on.

Is the bible the Word of God? Most reggae musicians - Rastafarian or otherwise - accept that it is. Like any other Jamaicans, we were all taught to believe that there was no teaching of morality or history outside of the bible. In writing this article, I am aware that it might go against the perception of you, the reader. May you keep an open, searching mind as you continue reading my reasonings.

When Rastafarians began the quest to find Self, the only book that was available to us was the bible and so the totality of what we understood to be true was based primarily on interpretation of this book. Even the idea of Haile Selassie as an afrikan God was justified and validated by the bible. We, as afrikan people brought here from afrika under inhumane conditions, were forced to live - even now - without any kind of identity. This was also justified through the bible by the European invaders and those afrikans who sought to rationalize this enslavement by declaring that this was an Act of God. The influence of this book runs deep. Over the years, Rastafarians declare themselves to be Israelites as referred to in the Old Testament, so that words and phrases such as Zion, Promised Land, the wicked Pharaoh and Jah became part of the language of the Rastafarian movement.

What I am really trying to say here, is that our own religious knowledge goes back no further than the 6,000 year history presented by this bible, (from Genesis to the beginning of this century, according to the bible, is 6,000 years). History and archeological evidence prove Ethiopia and Egypt existed thousands of years beyond that - much, much more than a mere 6,000 years.


Rastafarians have been very influential because of our music and cultural practices. For Rastafarians to move forward in this time, we will have to go beyond the bible, we can no longer continue to justify Haile Selassie’s divinity through the Davidic link. Ethiopia existed thousands of years before Abraham walked out of the Ur of the Chaldees. Even Egypt, which as been demonized by the authors of the Old Testament, existed thousands of years before Israel.

We can not continue to close out other information that is not in line with the bible. The bible is just one set of peoples’ understanding of human behavior and personality. The events recorded in the bible are on the periphery of afrikan knowledge. Stories recorded in the bible have their genesis in other indigenous people’s folk tales. What we are taking as history is other people’s mythology.

In Ethiopia, whether by
design or accident, the Church has not gone beyond the story of Solomon and
Sheba to justify Ethiopia’s presence in history. We can clearly see that there was a deliberate attempt to erase the feminine representation of Ethiopia’s personality and this resulted in a rise in a system of patriarchy that was very alien to afrikan culture. One would conclude that Ethiopia’s religious beginning starts with the union of Makeda and Solomon, but the only information received about Makeda is that she worshiped the sun and that she conceived for Solomon.
The significance of the Queen of Sheba’s visit to Solomon is very important in validating Ethiopia’s link with a Jewish heritage because this is used to substantiate Ethiopia’s true monarchy and lso the Godhead linkage.

A return to the feminine principle is very important in the unraveling of our ancient spirituality. What we have professed has helped us so far, but it’s up to us to now move it further. We can no longer be like Christian fundamentalists - or Islamic fundamentalists for that matter - who are stuck in a history that does not provide them with an understanding of new thoughts and new life styles. We are living in a new era of information - a time when one can travel from London to New York in three hours, when one can click a switch and illuminate a stadium filled with thousands of people, a time when a person committing a crime in one part of the world can be viewed instantaneously in another through modern technology. This is the age of information, but inspiration without information sometimes leads to superstition.

Given what I know now, I refuse to accept this limited view of Ethiopia and its contribution to world spirituality because this view has stagnated our concept of religion in afrika and how we relate to other cultures. I refuse to keep validating my perception of the divinity of Haile Selassie through an Israelite god. Ideas of emperors being gods existed long before the presence of the Israelites in Egypt. We, as Rastafarians, can find the essence of our spirituality in an Ethiopia and Egypt void of Israelite interpretation.

We are the creators of our destiny, we are the shapers of our future and our spirituality must reflect this new faculty of interpretation. We must not be afraid of the deep. Rastafari can only continue if we who profess this faith, understand that afrikan philosophy and Afrikan spirituality cannot be bound into any book.

Our need to understand each other and our environment is very crucial in the rationalization
of our existence. This can only be realized through clarity of perception. Religion does not offer clarity. What religion offers is a perception and this perception comes through belief. This belief comes through faith and, as we know, faith is not knowledge. Faith is what we would like our perception to be or not to be. Haile Selassie declares, "We must not confuse Spirituality with Religion." Rastafari must not be bound by religious perceptions because this will cause stagnation of the movement and thereby create fundamentalism. We must be open to the different cultures of afrika and not demonize them because of biblical interpretations.

The journey is never-ending and the race is not for the swift. There are many rivers to cross and so much trouble in the world. We will have to wake up and live! Rastafari must continue to rock the boat with a new faculty of interpretation.

http://www.mutabaruka.com/newfaculty.htm


I have a lot of respect for Muta Baruka, because he is not afraid to sound his voice and say the politcal incorrect thing that must be said.

So when I respond by expressing my disagreement with the article, I will do so in a thoughtfull way. I think Muta wrote this article as a start of a debate or reasoning, and as he apologizes when he "might go against the perception of the reader", I too apologize in advance for having to respond in disagreement as well.

I think, that Muta takes a few preconceptions which are not accurate. For example, he says the history written in the Bible is only 6000 years old. Well, the first three words of the Bible ("In the beginning") would place the Bible older than these 6000 years if the earth was older (and I believe it is).

He says, that "Egypt is older than Israel", which indicates that Muta believes the Old Testament to be the "History of Israel". Well, it's not. The Bible is the total history of creation, and we don't know how old creation is. Muta refers to scientifical ideas around the age of the earth and so on, but these ideas are all based on western conceptions mistakenly called "science".

Muta says that the "Church" (whatever that may be) doesn't look beyond Solomon and Sheba in their sighting of Ethiopia. That maybe true, but Muta forgets that Ethiopia is mentioned in the very first page of the Bible.

He then continues by establishing that (emph. mine) "For Rastafarians to move forward in this time, we will have to go beyond the bible, we can no longer continue to justify Haile Selassie’s divinity through the Davidic link".

In my opinnion, Muta is very right in his statement that in order to see the Ethiopian Emperor as Divine or "God", one has to "move beyond the Bible". I would like to add, one would have to go pass HIM's own statements. The fact that HIM has left the visible spectrum (some say he died) is another reason why -indeed, in my words- His Majesty can not be seen as the/an Incarnation of the God described in the Bible. So I agree with Muta here, even though our conclusions are quite different and show in my idea our (pre)conceptions.

It's all about, how do we define God or "The Divine"? One could look to it from what is usually called a Biblical Perspective, one can also adhere to a Pagan perspective or one can have a view just like the Hindu's have ("The Force").

I disagree with Mutabaruka, that just because it turns out that HIM cannot be "Biblically" seen as JAH, we must therefore turn to other sources that do confirm what is conceived.

His own definition of God, as he says "The feminine aspect", is his own. It's based on his conceptions. To say that these conceptions are "older than the Bible" is absurd, in my opinnion. I have started my reply by giving counter-argumentation against the arguments Muta gives in order to "move beyond the Bible" so to speak. When the Bible speaks about "in the beginning" (of Creation, whichever age is might be), there is nothing "before the Bible".

It's about: do we recognize there is a Creator, a Person, apart from His Creation? Was everything created by itself or by an external Creator?

It's obvious, and I recommend Muta for this too, that he is not claiming to "know it all". He says, that would make him like "fundamentalists". I don't think there's anything wrong with being a fundamentalist, for it means: "standing on a foundation". Where there is no foundation, how can there be a building? Any storm will take it away.

So what I see in this article is not so much a new idea, but a recognition of the fact that because of several reasons, HIM (His Imperial Majesty) can indeed not be seen as "God" in the "Biblical sense".

Within Rastafari, there has allways been -if you will- two streams. One is of a more Othodox Christian weay, the other is more of an Esotheric way. It's obvious, that these two exclude each other's concepts of "God/Divine".

Our doctrines concerning God/The Divine therefore are not identifyings us as being (or not being) Rastas.

I do think, that those who are more of the Orthodox Christian thought, will more and more turn to the belief that HIM is not JAH, but an Ikon of Christ. And those who are more esoptheric, will see the fact that Haile Selassie left the visible spectrum in the context that HIM was "only showing us that we are all divine".

I don't think, that either two of the streams should call the other "non-African". Both streams are based on a poisitive look to HIM and what HIM said. HIM was a supporter of the Bible and Christianity. If only for that reason alone, we should not call eachother "non-African" in our believes when we follow a more Christian way or a more esotheric way?

One is not "more" African than the other. The simple reason for that is, throughout the whole planet people have conceptions of the Divine like Muta has them. And thoughout the whole planet, people have conceptions of God like the Christian Orthodox have them.

One last remark: it's true that the "Bible" and "Christianity" are used as tools by the enslavers to keep a certain control. Isn't that something which all Rastas see?

However, the Bible itself condemns the slave drivers, identifies Babylon System and places Africa in a spercial position from the first page and beyond.

Then, there as another tool which the Babylonians use(d) to keep the slaves -and themselves- under satanic control. This is what is now called "science". The very same science that teaches Muta about "older than the Bible" and so on. It's theories of evolution, which are used to this day to justify white supremacy (eugenics) for example

WHY I BELIEVE IN YESUS KRISTOS

WHY I BELIEVE IN YESUS KRISTOS


Greetings!

I could write a book with the title "Why I Believe In Yesus Kristos". This book would contain my life story, it would contain testimonies of things which happenned in my life, it would also contain some chapters on the logicality of a believe in Yesus Kristos as well. However, a posting is not a book. So let me boil it down to a few thoughts.

What is "believing in Yesus Kristos" or Jesus Christ? Many people think that this would be a believe that there once was a Person trodding the planet Who is called Yahoshuah, Yesus, Jesus. Others would say, they "trust" in Yesus in order to enable Yesus to bring them a life full of happiness and fortune.

But to believe in Him is quite something different.

In short: I believe in Yesus Kristos, because He lived the life that I should have lived, and He died the death that I should have died, so that I can live and will never die as I have allready experienced death in Yesus.

When I look to my life, I see a lot of sins. I know ver well that I will never be able to live up to the standards as layed down in the Old Testament. And even if I could, I know that in the past I have done sins for which I am very much ashamed now. I know, by looking at myself, that I will never be able to live up to the standard that Jah has layed down.

How do I know that I can never live up to it? Not just by reading in the Bible. I know, because I know myself. I know, that I am a sinner. I know, that I can never become as good and perefect as the Creator obviously is, and I know that the Creator -because He is Good- could never have me in His region because I am not good.

A good artist can not listen to bad music. A good God cannot tolerate evil in His presence. Ice does not stay ice when the sun burns. Wicked people will vanish before His eyes.

So then, I know that I want to be with the Creator. For I can see that the creation is good, but it is corrupted. By seeing this, I can easily conclude that this corruption will be ended by the Creator Himself.

When there is a corruption, and where this corruption will obviously be ended, where does that leave me in the scheme of things? Oh, sure, I do good works, and all of that, and some people would even say that I am a good man, but I know myself and I know that I might not be as evil as Hitler but I am not perfect as Yesus either.

Should I then become a believer in "Karma" and all of that, and start to do a good thing for every bad thing I did? I see no logic in that. If we would all be working for a better karma throughout different lifes and so forth, then why does evil only increase? Why isn't the world, after thousands of reincarnations of souls perfecting themselves, a better place?

So then, I must look for salvation. I am obviously in a state wherein I can not get into a peace situation with my Creator. I see this in nature! I can "look within" and all of that, but I will not get anything else but a knowledge that I am a sinner and definitely not perfect. But I know I must be perfect in order to get peace with the perfect Creator!

It is obvious: I have to look to an "out-side" source for Salvation. Not even a creation could save me. Only the Creator Himself can save me. But this Creator is Good and Perfect, as we can see in creation (which is obviously corrupted from a good state).

Let me look to some of these out-side sources:

Mohammed says I have to do this and do that and maybe "Allah" will take me to heaven, when He has a good mood.

Buddah say I only have to know that I am the Buddah myself.

The Pope says I have to believe in Mary for my salvation, for only she will be able to speak to Yesus Kristos.

It doesan't matter which religion I look at, they all claim I have to do one or two things and then I might be saved.

Yesus Kristos is the only one Who claims to be the Creator Himself. Yesus Kristos is the only one Who lived a perfect life. And all He says is: "Believe in Me".

This believe, is that I trust that the works of Yesus Kristos are good and perfect. I trust, that He actually lived the life that I should have lived: that is a life without sin. I trust, that since Yesus died the death I should have died, His fullfilled works are sufficient.

Yesus is my only hope. Yes, all other grounds are sinking sands.

(April 2006)

TESTIMONY OF A SPIRITUAL BIRTH

TESTIMONY OF A SPIRITUAL BIRTH

Greetings!

I think it is not a secret, that I believe to be born again in Yesus Kristos. A Born Again Christian, as they say. This is not a new thing either, as I clearly know the date in which I was born again.

It was the 6th of august, in the year 1985. I was in a 19 year old body, as I was born in november 1965. Today, I live in a time wherein I can gratefully state that I live as a Christian now longer then before that.

I am very gratefull that I can live the life I live. Before I got born again, I was a blasphemer and basically worshipping satan. I hated everything which had anything to do with "church" and so forth. Even though I will not excuse myself for such a thing, I know now that I had a very wrong idea about the Creator.

I was brought up in a Pentecostal church. I heard the preachers preaching, and I saw the church members doing what they do. I saw the political games, I got confused because of the contradicitonal message that often came from the pullpit. I saw how there was this system wherein the churches did their part to control the people. That system, I learned later, was the church-and-state system called Babylon wherein the church simply does it's part.

I came to hate the situation I found myself in. For some reason, the spirit of antichrist was able to fool me into the idea that the Real Jesus Christ was actually playing His part in this Chruch and State system, too. And until my 19th life year, I truly thought that the message was: become a good babylonian, or go and burn forever.

Naturally, I did not like this. I did not understand it, either. And so I did the only thing a child can do: I "rebelled" as they call it.

Then I heard Reggae Music. It wasn't even a spiritual Reggae Music, but when I heard Linton Kwesie Johnson's track "Five Nights Of Bleeding", this track demanded my attention. I know it too well. I never heard anything like that and I immediatly identified myself with the riddim of the drum and bass: I found a music I actually could feel!

Gradually, I heard more and learned more about Reggae Music and especially Rastafari. I remember, the first time I heard the Name JAH I thought it was just another word for Reggae Music. So it was kind of a shocker for me to find out how JAH is actually the Name of the God of Israel, the God of the Bible.

I now am gratefull for the fact that JAH has actually shown Himself to me that way.

For even though I hated the God I heard about in church, I now learned that this God was in fact the spirit of Babylon. I learned, that my Creator was not at all an entity playing his part in the church and state system that keeps people down and in slavery. I learned that JAH is actually going to put an end to the corruption and so forth!

Even though I came to learn about JAH, I was still very much confused. I was still blaspheming, using the Name of Yesus Kristos in vain to put it mildly.

I do not know why, I truly don't. But JAH did put me into a situation wherein I was forced to acknowledge my spiritual bankruptcy and I got saved after asking Yesus Kristos to take over and make me new.

I do not really like to talk about the specifics of the sitation. Especially not publicly. It was what they call a "traumatic experience".

Basically, my situation was that I knew I was going to die in an hour. Please allow me to not share the details. But I knew I was going to die in an hour.

I realized, that I was going to "meet my Maker" as they say and I knew very well I had blasphemed him. I knew there was no way in which I could see myself in the Presence of the Almighty One and I knew the alternative. I knew this all along, but because I was a youth I did not think about the fact that there is an end to life in this body. What JAH did was putting me in the situation wherein I was going to die in an hour.

It was on that day, that I finally bowed down for Yesus. I "gave my life to Him" as they say. I became born again. And I did not die physically either, which is nothing but a miracle. You don't have to believe it, I know it for myself.

I still know the words I said. They were still very arrogant, when I look at them now. I said to Yesus: "I want to try it with you Lord". I now laugh over these words. Me? Trying it with Jah? Oh man.... It was Jah all the while pulling me to Him. There is nothing I did do or ever will do that could do anything to get me into the Presence of tha Almighty.

I can truly testify that ever since that day, for me a very special day, august 6 1985, I have a new life. It is not my works, it is not my decision even, but I do notice that I am growing as well. I am learning to do Jah's will rather then my own, I am learning to see that Jah's insight is more then mine, I am even learning to hate sin. But none of these things I can attribute to my own. These are only the works of the Holy Spirit.

I do witness that the Holy Spirit is active in my life. I am witnessing it, because I am seeing it in my life.

I thank Jah the Creator for becomming human, I thank Yesus Kristos (Jah Incarnated) for His fullfilled works. He truly lived the life that I should life, He died the death that I should have to die, so that I can now life eternally. Not because I am anything, not because I am special, but only because JAH WORKS.

This was my testimony. I can testify that it is the truth. I am not ashamed over it.

(april 2006)

JAH PEOPLE AND THEIR NAZARITES

JAH PEOPLE AND THEIR NAZARITES
A MEDITATION BY MESSIAN DREAD

    And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. [Is it] not even thus, O ye children of Israel? saith the LORD. But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink; and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not. Amo 2:11-12

We often hear words like "Church", and "Holy". Those who know themselves to be dreadlock in this time according to the principals of Numbers 6, also speak about "Nazarites". In both Israel and in the Christian Church that was founded by the Jewish Messiah, we will find those who have either chosen or are told by Jah to be dread.

It seems like many have forgotten, just where these words stand for.

The name "Israel", means as much as "Jah Warrior". Nazarite means "seperated one", and "Church" means: "Called-out ones". And lastly, the word "Holy" means "seperate" as well.

There is one common denominator in all of these words. These words all describe Jah people, both "in the flesh" as well as spiritually. And they all indicate a seperation.

In this day and new age, it becomes clearer and clearer that this seperation is indeed a fact. It's not something whihc should be accomplished somehow, it's an establishment of a fact.

But what does it mean, to be a Nazarite? What does it mean, to be holy? What does it mean to be Jah Warrior and what does it mean to be part of a group collectively called out of somewhere?

When you look around you, chances are that most who call themselves of Israel, of the Church, Holy or even Nazarite, are not at all what they claim to be. And you can hear it right of their own mouth, that's the most striking element in this all.

Jah people, whether Israel or the Church, are holy. That doesn't mean that they are better, that doesn't mean that they are of a greater value, no, none of that. But it does mean, that Jah people are a seperate people. Jah has His people in the midst of people who have a different God/god.

In this day and new age of globalization and "unification", the true meaning of the words Holy, Israel, Nazarite and Church should be brought forward. For the spirit of the new age is calling to Jah People to NOT be holy.

Read the Book of Revelation. It is clear that we have there the Church of Yesus and Israel as well, both under heavy fire from the forces of the Antichrist. and why? Because Jah people are seperate. they are the persecuted, because they are seperate.

Why were the first Christians burned on the stake? It was because they confessed their holiness, that is their seperate-ness. But if you follow the line of the spirit of this day and new age, these Christians were burned because they wanted to be in unity with the whole world... Which they didn't want.

Why is Israel allways persecuted? Taken as slaves to build the shitties of Babylon until this day and new age? Because they are Jah people, a seperate people, and everybody hates that seperate people.

With Nazarites, the seperation goes even further. For a Nazarite is holy or seperate within Jah people even. A Nazarite is often even seperated from his own people in order to seperate him or herself unto the Most High Jah.

A nazarite of Israel or of the Church carries the mark of the nazarite, that is the dreadlocks. These locks makes the seperation between the nazarite and the non-nazarite visible, but the seperation is much more then the hair.

But we see a totally different thing...

We see "holiness" as some kind of "spiritual status", we see the Church commiting spiritual fornication with about every doctrine of devils. My Idrens in Israel tell me they are facing exactly the same situation. Those who know themselves to be of Israel and of the church face it in a double version.

And because Jah people do not know what it means to be Jah People, to be holy that is seperate, the Nazarites in both Israel and in the Church are being fed the (spiritual) wine which they are not supposed to drink and the prophets/preachers are told to shut their mout close too in order to make way for the spiritual fornicators who are initiated into Mystery Babylon without even knowing it.

Babylon means the opposite of everything we read about thus far. Babylon means "confusion". Confusion literally is a con-fusion, that is a mix up of things that should be seperate. Babylon continually says: "everything is one", and with that she literally denies every form of holiness...

In the Book of Revelation, Babylon is presented to us as a whore. Jah People are (spiritually) fornicating with Babylon. They con-fuse Jah words with other words that Jah has not spoken. They do so, in order to get acceptance of man. "Coming together", "dialoging" and all of that. You see it happenning. Those who are con-fused usually blame their confusion on the prophets and the preachers. they are considered "divisive", that is "holy" as we have noticed...

But in this day and new age, JAH Voice is still calling. "Come Out Of Her My People", is the word you can read in Revelation.

(january 2006)

PSALM 1:1, A SHORT MEDITATION

PSALM 1:1, A SHORT MEDITATION


    Blessed [is] the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
    But his delight [is] in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
    And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
    The ungodly [are] not so: but [are] like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
    Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
    For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
Although this psalm is very clear, and it should be taken as a whole, I would humbly like to share thoughts that I have learned about the first verse of the first Psalm.

Blessed [is] the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

A closer look at this verse shows a process, that we have to take into consideration. It's a principal that starts with walking, then turns to standing, followed by a sitting.

Walking in the counsil of the ungodly, leads to standing on the way of the sinners. Standing on the way of the sinners will result in sitting in the seat of the scornfull.

Many of us are adviced by all kinds of ungodly theories and teachings. When we walk in their counsil, we will follow some thing which excludes the Most High Jah. For example, Rick Warren and his Purpose Driven Paradigm which is completely based on the ungodly counsil of Peter Drucker, Robert Schuller and others.

When we walk in their counsil, we will soon stop from moving forward. It cannot be different, because how shall a man have wisdom and not receive it from Jah? Obviously, the counsil of the ungodly is: "sin, sin, sin"! And when you live in sin, you cannot move forward. So you stand. You no longer walk...

And then, when you have adopted a lifestyle of sin, because the ungodly have told you that there is no Jah and you can do what you want, you will no longer stand in the end...

Walking -> Standing -> Sitting

Standing on the way of the sinners is very tiresome. Take a look at the lifestyle of many MTV stars. It wears you out, I mean you get tired as you are being sucked empty. So ofcourse, you can't stand allways and you sit down.

But what happens if you stand on the way of the sinners and you sit down?

You find yourself in the seat of the scornfull. The seat of the scornfull, who confess with their mouth to their own judgement.

In a way, the above is the road to apostacy. It starts by taking the counsil, the advice, of the ungodly. As a result, sin disables our growth and subsequently make us to sit down with the others who have been there before.

There are people, who truly lost their faith. They do no longer think that they are in need for salvation. And they start to scorn those who are not walking on the road to apostacy.

But the point is, sooner or later they will have to make a choice. And they will haver to confess with their mouths about their choice. Even if they do not intend to do so, they still do.

A lot of apostates currently are scorning in a scale where even the ungodly do not trod before. Let their scorn be an example to us, that we will not take council of the ungodly.

frebruary 2006

TO GATHER AROUND JAH THRONE

TO GATHER AROUND JAH THRONE
A MEDITATION BY MESSIAN DREAD

Lately, I have been confronted with a number of situations in which certain things became obvious. A common denominator in situations which appearantly have no real connection other then that I witness them.

Just the other day, a fight in a family and the woman ran off scared but not really. Someone saying: "If you don't experience happiness then quit the relationship". But fighting has it's advances, appearantly. It gives people a reason to tear down another one continually as a way of survival in what can hardly be called a life.

Another day, another conflict, where another people have another problem. Rights and respect are obviously two things which you sometimes have to fight for. They are not automatically given and so it can be that one person uses the humbleness of another person until that other person decides to fight for some right. A fight without end, obviously, as there is allways a situation to be found in which two basic rights appearantly stand eachother in the way and so: "if you stand up for your right then I will stand up for mine"...

A third day, and a third situation driving people away from eachother. Different definitions of concepts can go unnoticed for quite a while until the obviously different ends show the different means. For means do not justify, but surely exposes the goals!

And yet, a fourth day and another train of events. After close study of definitions one decides to make use of another one's definitions without neccesarily applying them in one's own philosophy. Philosophical, or even religious hitch-hiking can have it's instant and therefore temporal advancements as well.

Did you guess the common denominator? There are several, actually. Conflictuous situations, some of which gone pretty far in the effects on others. Selfishness and self-righteousness is another. And especially that last one is pretty important!

So there is one denominator and that is SELF LOVE. The LOVE for SELF. Oh, how many therapies and thing are currently running in the several "churches". How many people do actually think they have to love themselves as a commandment of JAH? How many therapies and seminars are there, all aimed at "learning to love yourself"? How many times do you hear the so-called "Christian Media" scream blood and fire about an appearant "lack of self love"?

It's all vanity and a root for needless conflicts.

The Bible doesn't say: "In the end times people will hate themselves" or "the fruit of therapy is love, etc etc...".

The Bible says: "In the end time people will be Lovers Of Self" and "The Fruits of the Holy Spirit is love, etc etc etc..."

And so you see, people loving themselves over truth for example. They think, that loving yourself is a commandment of JAH . They think, that "love" is more important then Truth and they do not realize how Love is happy with the Truth, as the Bible tells us.

How then, do we handle these situations as describe in previous paragraphs? How then, do we deal with the fact that people love themselves rather then the Truth and therefore do not even really love themselves as they do not want to hear the Truth about themselves?

We could start, by acknowledging that we love ourselves as a natural fact. We do not have to learn to love Self, because we allready do. For example: someone saying that she hates herself for being ugly. But if she would truly hate herself she would be glad that she is ugly.

Maybe we could then continue by acknowledging the Truth and not our so-called rights. We could grow by admitting our inabilities to love our neighbor as ourselves.

When we want to gather around JAH Throne, do we realize that He is GOOD? Do we realize, that He is The Truth? Do we realize that we are completely unable to rally around His throne?

For we are not good, as none of us can say we are without sin. For we are not happy with the Truth, as we have to admit that we are all Lovers Of Self and thus in no need for no so-called Therapist of Purpose Driven Philosophy to teach us to love ourselves even more.

Why don't we realize how that LOVE we all speak of so many times, is HAPPY WITH THE TRUTH (1 Cor. 13)?

Do we think we can rally around JAH Throne because of the great persons that we are? Then forget it. Why do we want to rally around His Throne anyway? For the ultimate kick?

Let's admit that we are and behave like we are: forgiven sinners.

I know that I am unworthy to rally around JAH Throne. I know I am unworthy to even write this Itation. and I thank JAH that I know this. For it makes me a gratefull dread, a happy recipient of the Grace of JAH.

For everything I am not but must be in order to be able to rally around JAH Throne, Yesus became for I. And for you as well.

For these words I give thanks.

(september 2005)

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