MONROVIA – The President of the Liberia Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention (LBMEC), Rev. Dr. Samuel B. Reeves, has underscored the need for churches in Liberia to take the lead and speak out against challenges, ritualistic killings and other forms of insecurities that have engulfed the nation.
Dr. Reeves is also the Senior Pastor of the historic Providence Baptist Church in Monrovia.
Located on Broad and Center Streets in Monrovia, the Providence Baptist Church is considered as the cornerstone of Liberia. It is where Liberia’s Declaration of Independence was signed on July 26, 1847.
Dr. Reeves said Liberians, especially members of his Congregation should be mindful of whose voice they listen to during these critical times in the history of the country.
He made these assertions when he delivered his regular Sunday sermon at his church edifice on Broad Street in Monrovia.
He spoke on the Theme: Be Careful Whose Voice You Listen To, with text taken from the book of Mark 1:21-28.
“Church be careful whose voice you are listening to. Today, we live in a world of words. Words on TV, words on the radio, spoken words, and words printed in the Newspaper, works in books, on the computers and words on the internet. Whose voice are you listening to? There are all kinds of voices out there clamoring for our attention”.
Rev. Reeves noted that in the midst of numerous challenges, the times in Liberia are “fearful and dangerous”.
“Listen church, when we come face to face with the challenges in these fearful and dangerous times, don’t listen to voices like this man that want to tear down instead of build-up, condemn instead of commend. Don’t listen to voices like his man that are only concern about keep things the ways they are and keeping you in your broken condition”.
“In times like these the Church must lead with the power and in the power of God and allow the word of God through Jesus to speak healing and bring change to our situations and conditions of impurity, idolatry, jealousy, anger, dissensions, envy, drunkenness, drug-abuse, insecurity, greed and corruption”.
He stated that though demons remain visible in the Liberian society, citizens should be cognizant of the fact that the word of God is always a “treat to ignorance, poverty and disease, a treat to corruption, to injustice, to poor leadership, to lies, and deceptions, laziness and greed”.
He noted that the demons in Liberia are afraid because Jesus is a threat to their powers and their authorities.
Rev. Reeves maintained that Jesus, the word of God remain “a threat to corruption that leads to poverty, and lies that lead to fear, timidity, insecurity and uncertainty whether in our homes, in the church or in the government”.
Leave us
He added that Liberians should also bear in mind that there are those in their respective homes, communities, in the nation and government, who are saying “just leave us alone-we are satisfying with the corruption, inadequacies, and the insecurities that is destroying our nation; leave us along they say all is well and rosy”.
He noted that though many Liberians are in the right place but in the wrong conditions, they should bear in mind that the word of God, through the Voice of God wants to destroy the insecurities that have created the conditions in the nation, including the insecurities created by ritualistic killing, corruption.
Rev. Reeves reminded citizens that the voice of the church and the gospel it preaches remains a voice of healing, and as such, the Church should not remain mute on critical issues and challenges confronting the nation and its people.