Government officials have paid scant regard to the call that was made more than seven years ago, for the nation to observe three days of Repentance, Fasting, and Prayer, and have instead plunged the country deeper into occultism and the worship of other gods.
The call was made on November 19, 2017 by Apostle Jeffrey Shuttleworth in a mass gathering in Halfway Tree Square in Kingston. Current Prime Minister Andrew Holness was in attendance alongside other leaders.
“When I myself heard the call, I was overjoyed because I had been observing for a while that Jamaica was on a collision course and needed to detour,” said an observer who has penned a letter* documenting the event for the Freedom Come Rain.
“Yet, in spite of frequent reminders over the years from the Man of God and from others in the Remnant Army, God’s command still hasn’t been adhered to,” she said.
The Prime Minister and members of his cabinet have attended several one-day fasting services held by different Christian groups over the years, but there has been no public repentance or a call for the nation to pray for three consecutive days. Instead, there have been increased efforts in recent times to push the worship of other gods.
Last week Wednesday, the country officially launched the inaugural National Revival Conference and Church Service, which was attended by Revivalists from across the island and the diaspora.
The event was endorsed and partly organised by the government, whose representative and culture minister, Olivia Grange, declared that revivalism will not be forgotten.
“We are no longer a colonised people. It’s time to shed the colonial lens and see Revivalism for what it truly is — a vibrant expression of African-Jamaican resilience and faith. Our people should never again feel ashamed of who we are,” she said.
Even though Jamaican leaders have gone wayward, the assurance has been given that the Lord is raising up a remnant as He prepares to transform the nation. This revelation was given by international Pastor Joe Kirkwood during a church service at the Fellowship Tabernacle in Mandeville on May 25.
“For the nation has gone with the current but there is rising up a remnant of resistance. There is rising up those that will take a stand for godly principles that will not bow down, will not float down with the stream and float with the current but will stand in the midst of a current and decree my will and my purpose. There is coming a shift of those willing to even be put on the edge. Those willing to take a stand for me and I will be with them,” he told the congregation.
He said the Lord will be giving supernatural abilities to His remnant to go against these trends and to even change government policies and ideals. They will also be bringing down strongholds of evil.
“The powers and principalities that have ruled over the island of Jamaica are coming down says the Lord, and they are coming down because I’m causing my people to rise up and to go against the current, to go against the trend, and I will be with them,” he said.
A few Christian organisations and churches on the island have been protesting against ungodly agendas that are being pushed by the government and international funding organisations. These include abortion, the LGBTQ lifestyle, the Samoa Agreement, cashlessness, the National Identification System (NIDS), and the removal of devotion in schools.
The thirst for blood
One of the sure signs that Jamaica is under judgement has been the high murder rate in the country. Approximately 12,000 Jamaicans have been murdered since 2017. There have been several triple and quadruple murders which have rocked the island to date, and despite pronouncements by the government that the murder numbers are trending down, Jamaicans are unable to sleep with their windows and doors open.
Five people were shot and killed on Waltham Park Road in Kingston last year November. Five men were also shot and killed during an attack at a football match in Pleasant Heights, Rockfort in Kingston the month before. The nation was shocked by the quadruple murder in the community of Cherry Tree Lane in Four Paths, Clarendon in August 2024, and in June 2022 by the killing of a mother and her four children in Cocoa Piece, Chapelton, Clarendon. The murder of several social media influencers in recent times have reinforced the thirst for blood in the island.
Attacks on children
The attacks on children have been overwhelming, with the killings starting from they are in the womb. More than 176,000 unborn babies have been murdered since 2017.
More than 300 children under age 17 were murdered while just over 6,000 were sexually assaulted in Jamaica. Between 2017 and 2021, 6,686 children were reported missing in Jamaica, with 5,106 being located. A significant number of reported missing children are females, with a gender disparity of 79% being female. Reports of the brutal murder and rape of our children seems never ending. The body of nine-year old Kelsey Ferrigon was found at her home on Job Lane in Spanish Town, St. Catherine on May 9 stuffed in a barrel. She was raped and murdered.
Low birth rate
Jamaica continues to face a low birth rate problem with the total number of live births in the country declining sharply over the last 20 years.
Starvation
A significant portion of Jamaica’s 2.8 million citizens faces food insecurity, with many families struggling to afford nutritious meals. A 2023 report revealed that half of Jamaicans are skipping meals or eating less, and 10% go without food for at least one day a week.
Drought
Farmers have been affected by several periods of droughts that have affected the island over the last few years. Below average rainfall has created challenging conditions for those in the agricultural sector, as well as householders who often have their water disconnected at specific times during droughts.
Hurricane Beryl
Hurricane Beryl resulted in $32 billion worth of losses, causing severe damage to agriculture, mining, tourism, and infrastructure across the island last year. The category four storm disrupted power and electricity supplies, and damaged several homes when it hit last year July.
Road Accidents
Thousands of Jamaicans have died in road crashes over the last few years despite the roll-out of campaigns aimed at stemming these fatalities. Five people were killed over a 12-hour period in separate motor vehicle crashes on Sunday, June 1. According to official statistics, at least 162 people have died in 147 fatal crashes since January 1 this year. For 2024, 315 collisions and 365 fatalities were recorded, with January recording the highest number of fatalities. In 2023, there were 384 collisions and 425 fatalities reported during the same timespan.
