The Senior Pastor of the historic Providence Baptist Church, Reverend Dr. Samuel B. Reeves, today told every Liberian, including officials of the new administration of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, that in order to have a successful nation, they should put God first before nation.
Rev. Reeves, who delivered the thanksgiving and intercessory service sermon earlier today, for President Sirleaf’s second term inauguration, stated that Liberia would only become “better when its citizens put God first before country, put country first before self and put their fellowman before themselves.”
He urged Liberians to work while it is day, and added that their country needed their hands most while God needed their hearts.
The Baptist preacher took his texts from the books of Esther 4:1-17 and Acts 2:42-47 of the Holy Bible. Preaching on the theme, "Called for Such a time as This", Rev. Dr. Reeves asked his audience, mainly Liberians: “Do you know why you are in that position that you are in at this time?” Answering his own question, he said that God had placed each Liberian in areas so that they could make the most of their positions in order to make their country better.
“Sister President-elect, Brother Vice-President-elect, Brother Speaker, Brother President Pro-Tempore, Brother Chief Justice, God has put you in that position so that you can make this nation a better place. And if you think you are those positions to enrich yourselves, God has got a better person waiting to replace you.”
Rev. Reeves, who is also the vice president for the Liberia Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention, told members of the 53rd Legislature and Cabinet Ministers and other Liberians in positions of trust that if they think they can hide behind their positions to trample on the rights of others, “God will surely remove you and bring a better person to replace you,” he added to thunderous applause from the audience.
Trying to relate the story of Queen Esther in his Old Testament text to President Sirleaf, Rev. Reeves asked: “Sis. President could it be that you were made Queen so that the hydro can be built, reconstructed in order for every home in Liberia to have access to electricity? Could it be you were made Queen so that every Liberian child can be educated? Could it be you were made Queen so that your leadership can help the young people of this nation to have a sense of direction?
The preacher man said all was not perfect in President Sirleaf’s first six-year term. But added that “wonders” were done in the first six years and those who have eyes to see, saw them.
Naming some of the opposition political parties, including Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), Liberty Party (LP), National Union of Democratic Progress, (NUDP), etc, he told them that as they lead Liberia, they should have the fear of God.
Opposition politicians, including Cllr. Winston Tubman of the CDC; Cllr. Charles Walker Brumskine, LP; Dr. Togba Nah-Tipoteh, Alliance for Peace and Democracy’s (APD); as well as Rev. Kennedy Sandy, Liberia Transfromation Party (LTP), were among those in attendance.
The audience also included representatives of foreign governments and international NGOs, as well as eminent Liberians.
The service was showered with several powerful music renditions, including a patriotic medley arranged by Liberia's renowned gospel artist, Amb. Timothy Thomas. The medley and other songs, including hymns were sung by an interdenominational choir. Ms. Nyepu Byrl sang an opera rendition of Psalm 27, "The Lord is my light and my salvation".
President Sirleaf will be inaugurated for her second term in office tomorrow, January 16, 2012 at the grounds of the Capitol, home of the National Legislature, in Monrovia.
