Annihilationism – What is it?
Annihilationism asks the question, “How could a compassionate and moral God send someone to a literal hell for infinite, eternal punishment?” Instead of an eternal hell, an annihilationist believes that unbelievers will not experience an eternity of suffering in hell, but will instead be “extinguished” after death. Many annihilationists do not believe in a literal hell as a place where the souls of the lost are tormented in a lake of fire for eternity. Others believe that hell is a literal place where the lost will be punished; however, they do not believe that the punishment is eternal. Instead, they believe that those souls are eventually annihilated so that they no longer exist.

Most people have difficulty with the concept of a literal, eternal Hell. It is even more difficult for us to consider the possibility that close relatives or friends may be there. Perhaps that is one reason that pastors seldom preach sermons on the topic. Hell has been described as “Christianity’s dirty little secret” because of some pastors’ reluctance to talk about it as a place of eternal punishment. The whole concept is difficult for us to rationalize when we are told about a God who is loving, compassionate, and forgiving. Yet the Bible is clear that the wicked with suffer eternally in hell.

Many people have questioned how God could provide infinite punishment to someone who only committed a finite number of sins while they were alive. Many would argue that such a punishment is excessive. Isn’t it strange however, that most of us have no problem accepting the concept of an eternal heaven? We apparently have no trouble accepting an infinite, eternal reward for those of us who have accepted Christ as Savior.

Annihilationism – What is God’s view of sin?
Can the eternal punishment of the lost be rationalized as being just? The answer lies in our lack of understanding of how an infinite, righteous God must look at the infinite problem of sin. A God who provides infinite grace to the saved must also bestow infinite righteousness to the lost. If even the tiniest sin is infinite in significance to God, then a righteous God would have to demand infinite punishment.

If someone commits a sin that is never forgiven through the blood of Jesus Christ, the Bible says that person must be punished. If they died without accepting Jesus as their Savior, then those sins were never forgiven. A year later, a thousand years later, or a million years later those sins still would have not been forgiven because the person never repented and asked for forgiveness during their lifetime. So their sins live on for eternity. God has no way to forgive their sins because they rejected Christ while they were alive. If their sins live on forever, then they must be punished forever. For God to annihilate someone into non-existence would, in effect, constitute a “forgiveness” of the punishment for that sin. That is something that God cannot do.

Annihilationism – The Bible’s view
In conclusion, Hell is a very real place and there is nothing in the Bible that would indicate otherwise. Some of the Scriptures discussing Hell as a place of everlasting torment include:

“And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life…If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:12, 15).

Jesus said, “‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41).

“And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night…” (Revelation 14:11).

“If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out” (Mark 9:43).

Finally, read the story of the rich man and Lazarus described in Luke 16:19-31. There, it makes it very clear that hell is a place from which there is no escape, saying, “…a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us” (Luke 16:26).

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CARACAS, Venezuela — Former Miss Venezuela Eva Ekvall, whose struggle with breast cancer was closely followed by Venezuelans, has died at age 28.

Her family said Ekvall died Saturday at a hospital in Houston.

Ekvall was crowned Miss Venezuela at age 17 in 2000, and the following year she was third runner-up in the Miss Universe pageant in Puerto Rico. She went on to work as a model, actress and television news anchor.

She also authored a book, “Fuera de Foco” (“Out of Focus”, about her struggle with cancer, which included images by Venezuelan photographer Roberto Mata.

She told the newspaper El Nacional in an interview last year after the book was published that “I needed to send the message of the need for cancer prevention.”

On the cover was a portrait in which she appeared with makeup and her head shaved. The book also included images of her while going through chemotherapy.

“I hate to see photos in which I come out ugly,” Ekvall told El Nacional. “But you know what? Nobody every said cancer is pretty or that I should look like Miss Venezuela when I have cancer.”

At the time, she was hopeful of overcoming cancer and wanted to write more.

Ekvall’s family said in a statement Sunday that her remains were being cremated in Houston on Monday and that a service is to be held in Venezuela once her remains are returned to the country.

Ekvall said in a 2007 interview published in Venezuelan news media that although her mother is Jamaican and her father is American of Swedish and Hungarian descent, “I feel more Venezuelan than anybody.”

She was married to radio producer John Fabio Bermudez and had a 2-year-old daughter.

Her death brought an outpouring of condolences from Venezuelans, including from some prominent artists and politicians.

One drawing posted on Twitter depicted her as an angel with white wings and a pink ribbon on her chest.

Ekvall’s husband posted a photo on Twitter Sunday showing a close-up of his hand holding hers, resting on a bed, with the words “Always together … I love you wife.”

JR Flexx Manager of a Radio show has been swinging his balls from left to right showing that he is da man. Since his time as Manager he has Managed to make all the DJ’s uncomfortable. Who has not quit has been released of their duties. Only so we can hear his voice in more slots. He is so creative and as gone as far as to develop three other personalities including (Edited). The professional owner Franky Lex is so nice to hire some one special like Junior Flexx. Seeing that Mr.Flexx can not read, write or send out an e-mail. With guidance and help from friends and family is slowly learning how to use a laptop and find his way around the studio. Very Smart business move Franky this should work our perfectly.

Congratulations Junior Flexx and Franky Lexx in less than a month they have managed to make da Rasta run from dem station, all the DJ’s the audience is accustomed to are gone or on the way out and they have lost half of their listeners. Good Job!

Now that there are some unhappy DJ’s all of Mr.Flexx secrets is coming to light. There have been reported sightings of Mr.Flexx parring wid him thiefing battyman friend on a regular bassis which of course make all other associates comfortable. Also reports off alleged domestic violence unfolding at the studio in the presence of the other DJ’s (JrFlexx a beat him woman). Mr.Flexx has campaigned a one man army against all other Miami DJ’s who so called badmind him. Franky Licky Licky Lexx will continue to ride this coat tail into destruction.

Vybz Kartel, cronies to be tried in Supreme Court
BY PAUL HENRY Crime/court co-ordinator [email protected]
Monday, December 19, 2011

THE murder trial involving caged deejay Vybz Kartel and three of his alleged cronies has been transferred to the Home Circuit Court.
A voluntary bill of indictment was served for the case against the four to be transferred to the higher court today. The case, which involves the murder of Clive ‘Lizard Williams’ will be heard in the Home Circuit Court this afternoon.
However, two more co-accused Andre St John and Sean Williams, will be heard in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday as their names were not included in the list of those be transferred.
The deejay who is charged for murder, conspiracy to murder, illegal possession of a firearm and possession of ganja will get a chance to defend himself against the ganja charge on February 13.
Meanwhile, lawyers representing female deejay Vanessa ‘Gaza Slim’ Saddler, are making a bail application on her behalf in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court. Saddler is charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice after she made a report to the police that Williams had robbed her. Police say they have telephone evidence that she was instructed to make the report.

Williams’ body has not yet been found.

Vybz Kartel, Gaza Slim remanded
Jamaica Observer
Monday, December 19, 2011

FEMALE deejay Gaza Sim and her Portmore Empire boss, Vybz Kartel, were remanded in when they appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court this morning.
Senior Magistrate Judith Pusey denied bail and remanded them both until January 9.
The magistrate also asked to see the alleged texts between the two which led to both being charged for attempting to pervert the course of justice.
The Portmore Empire has been thrown in a tailspin since the arrest of Vybz Kartel and several of his cronies several weeks ago.

http://youtu.be/zYAmThE6jZU

Popular Dancehall/Reggae superstar, Shaggy insists that his 2012 Grammy nomination for Best Reggae album is a tribute to his ability to stay consistent within the industry. Additionally, he plans to release his third single off his album Summer In Kingston to start the New Year amongst other projects.

Shaggy and Friends will be taking place on the lawns of Jamaica House on December 30th 2011. The impressive line up has both local and international artists such as NeYo, Wayne Marshall, Lauren Hill, Tami Chynn, Stephen Marley, Assassin, Coco tea, Bunji Garlin, Chino, Deniece Williams, Half Pint, Romain Virgo, Fay Ann Lyons and many more to be announced. This annual charity event is to benefit the the Bustamante Children Hospital. This year the proceeds will go to furnish the new pediatric cardiac and intensive care unit.

Mshoza: The dark side of being light

Let me jump on the Mshoza bandwagon here for a minute. For those of you who don’t know her (that would be many of you here), Mshoza had a massive hit song many years ago. It was a Kwaito song. It had to do with her liking a guy wearing a hat.

Now she’s famous again. But this time for bleaching her skin. In her case it has nothing to do with the disease that Michael Jackson had which literally turned him white –, a condition that causes depigmentation of sections of skin. It happens when melanin, which is responsible for skin pigmentation, die. The patches become bigger as one gets older on some people.

Mshoza does not have this condition. It is a choice that she made. She just wanted to be light-skinned.

A lot of people have issues with their appearance. Some don’t like their noses, lips, jaws or any other parts of their bodies for that matter. So they will go for plastic surgery and other body altering treatments and no one has a problem. I suppose this is the question Mshoza is asking: If people can have boob jobs, ass jobs, or any other jobs, what’s wrong with changing the complexion of her skin? What’s wrong with changing from a Kelly Roland to a yellow bone?

For those of you who might not know, the term yellow bone was popularised by the cartoon series, Boondocks, and has come to mean light-skinned black person.

Since the arrival of Europeans, there has been a long held belief that if you’re a light-skinned black person you are automatically beautiful. Just as it has been thought that blonds have more fun.

I suppose it is a fair question Mshoza is asking. Why allow other forms of body alteration but have a huge uproar when she alters her skin colour? No one says anything when some white folk darken their skins. Do we have issues as black people?

The fundamental difference between having a boob job and changing the colour of your skin really goes to core of what black people have been fighting for. That being black is equal to any other race; that there is nothing inferior about being black. When a black person changes the colour of their skin to make it lighter, it seems to be a rejection of one’s blackness.

But how can one be rejecting their blackness when they will remain black despite being light-skinned? One may erase their black on the outside, but the black inside that wants umqusho can’t be erased.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to look good. There is everything wrong with thinking that you will be a better person because you look better. There is no plastic surgery for insecurity.

It is good to look good. It is even better to be a good person. Having said that, we must not confuse wanting to look good with feelings of insecurity. Those two can be separate. One can simply want to look good because they want to, another may want to look good because of they want to be seen. To quote myself in my column, Better to ugly or beautiful?: “One thing that can be said about beauty is that it doesn’t last, ugly on the other hand does. Beauty is the sprinter, ugly is the marathon.”

Mshoza is being vilified for doing what some people are probably too afraid to do. Why do I say this? The long held belief that light-skinned people are better looking still prevails and hasn’t gone away. One sees it on the social networks and can hear it in hip-hop.  Men are probably largely responsible for this. Therefore women want to be light-skinned because they know that they increase their chances of being hit on. So men cannot sit on their high horses and say women want to be light-skinned.

Perhaps we should blame ourselves as men for this.

If we build our women, we build the nation. Our women are beautiful in their shades. No shade is better or more beautiful than another.

We must teach little black girls that they’re beautiful so that they don’t think they need to look like someone else to be liked. In fact we should teach this to all little girls. They have to grow up knowing that if people like them simply because of what they look like and nothing more, then those people are not worthy of their affections nor attention.

I do not condone skin bleaching. We live in a free country though. My personal view is that bleaching one’s skin is a form of self-oppression. And there is no greater oppression than self-oppression.

If you think that being lighter means you are more attractive, it’s time you fixed your thinking. Being attractive makes you attractive, not the colour of your skin.

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