by Eron Henry | Mar 4, 2024 | Lent 2024
God’s action in the world is not based on violence, but on nonviolence. God does not use force, coercion, or domination to achieve God’s purposes, but rather love, compassion, and justice. God does not inflict pain, but rather suffers with and for those who are in pain. God does not exclude, but rather embraces all people, even those who are enemies. God does not impose, but rather invites us to participate in the mission of reconciliation and transformation.
This is the message of the cross of Jesus, who incarnated God’s nonviolent love in the world. Jesus was a victim of violence, like many other “crucified people” who are oppressed, marginalized, and exploited by the powers of evil. He was a witness of God’s scandalous grace, who forgave and prayed for those who crucified Him. Jesus was also a sign of God’s vulnerability, who did not cling to His divine status, but emptied Himself and became human. Jesus was a promise of God’s victory, who rose from the dead and conquered sin, death, and evil.
The cross of Jesus challenges us to rethink our understanding of God, ourselves, and others. The cross reveals God’s metacosmic love, which transcends all boundaries and reaches out to all creation. The cross reveals our need for God’s grace, which frees us from our guilt, shame, and fear. The cross reveals our call to God’s mission, which empowers us to follow Jesus in His way of nonviolence, service, and sacrifice. The cross reveals our hope in God’s future, which assures us of God’s presence and power in our lives.
Prayer
Loving and compassionate God, we come before You today to reflect on the nonviolent love that Jesus Christ embodied and taught us. We thank You for the example of Jesus, who was a victim of violence yet chose nonviolence in His response. We acknowledge the transformative power of His love, which turned swords into plowshares, hostility into reconciliation, alienation into community, and hatred into forgiveness.
We recognize the call to participate in the mission of reconciliation and transformation, to embrace all people as You have embraced us, and to invite others to join us in this journey of nonviolence. We are reminded of the cross of Jesus, which is a symbol of Your metacosmic love, transcending all boundaries and reaching out to all creation.
Lord, we pray for the grace to be free from guilt, shame, and fear, and to be empowered by Your call to follow Jesus in His way of nonviolence, service, and sacrifice. We pray for the strength to resist the temptation to use violence as a means to an end, and instead, to embody the love and justice that You have shown us through Jesus.
We ask for Your guidance in our daily lives, that we may live in accordance with Your commandment to love one another as You have loved us. We pray for the wisdom to understand the depth of Your love and the power of nonviolence to bring about peace and justice in our world.
Grant us the courage to stand against injustice, to speak truth to power, and to act in ways that reflect the love and compassion of Jesus. May we be instruments of Your peace, working tirelessly to overcome fear with trust, injury with pardon, and hatred with nonviolent love.
In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.
by Eron Henry | Mar 3, 2024 | Lent 2024
God sent the Son, Jesus Christ, to meet us where we are. Jesus came to save us and show us the way to God. Though a Jew in a particular time and place, He has become one of us, sharing our joys and sorrows, our hopes and fears, our strengths and weaknesses. Jesus speaks our language and understands our cultures. He is everything to everyone, so that by all possible means He might save some (1 Cor 9:22).
Jesus does not reject or ignore the diversity of the human family but embraces it and celebrates it. He has welcomed people from different backgrounds, ethnicities, and social classes. The Jesus we serve dialogs with persons and challenges them to grow in faith and love. He shows us that God’s truth is not limited by our human categories but transcends them and enriches them. He reveals that God’s grace is at work in all cultures, and that we can learn from them and share with them the gospel of God’s love.
As followers of Jesus, we are called to imitate His example and attitude. We are called to be open and respectful to people who are different from us, to listen and learn from them, to appreciate and affirm their values and gifts, and to share with them the good news of God’s love in Jesus Christ. We are called to be agents of God’s reconciliation and peace in a world that is divided and hostile. We are called to be witnesses of God’s love for the world, a love that is multilingual, multicultural, and pluralistic.
Prayer
God of all nations and peoples,
We thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ, to meet us where we are. We praise You for His saving and transforming work in our lives. We acknowledge that He is the Lord of all cultures and languages, the Savior of all races and classes, the Friend of all sinners and seekers.
We confess that we often fail to appreciate the diversity of Your creation, that we are often prejudiced and intolerant toward those who are different from us, that we are often ignorant and arrogant about our own cultures and traditions. Forgive us, Lord, and teach us by Your Spirit.
We ask You to help us to follow the example and the attitude of Jesus Christ, to be open and respectful to people who are different from us, to listen and learn from them, to appreciate and affirm their values and gifts, and to share with them the good news of Your love in Jesus Christ. We ask You to help us to be agents of Your reconciliation and peace in a world that is divided and hostile. We ask You to help us to be witnesses of Your love for the world, a love that is multilingual, multicultural, and pluralistic. Amen
by Eron Henry | Mar 2, 2024 | Lent 2024
Rev. Theophous H. Reagans, Esq.
The woman left her water jar behind and went back to the town. She said to the people, Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could He be the Messiah? So they left the town and went to see Him. John 4:28-30; Isaiah 56:1-7
We are not here by chance. We have been chosen, sent, claimed, and named by God. We have been called to a mission. I want to reflect on this passage: “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could He be the Messiah?” After Jesus revealed Himself to her and told her that He was the one she had been waiting for, the woman at the well was amazed and believed in Jesus Christ. She wanted to share her faith with others right away. So she went to her village and told the men that she had met the Messiah. Because of her simple testimony, many people came to the well to meet Jesus. God called all of us out of something to God’s goodness. And many of us, like this woman, were not the most likely candidates, at least in the eyes of the world and maybe in the eyes of many in the church. But we were called to live in the power and wonder of the Creator.
This passage shows that God’s call is for everyone and that God has a specific purpose for each of us. In a patriarchal society, Jesus first reached out to the people of Israel as a Jewish man, speaking mainly to and through other Jewish men. But here, to the surprise of His disciples, Jesus shared the good news with a woman, a Samaritan woman, and called her from her weakness to a new life of strength. The rabbis said, “It is better to burn the law than to teach it to a woman!” But Jesus did not agree with that narrow view and He broke the barriers of race and gender by this encounter. So, in this season of Lent, I urge you to remember your calling to God’s goodness. Remember that you were called to a mission just like the woman at the well. Remember your own unique story and how God called you not despite, but because of your circumstances. Go back to your village with joy and wonder. This is our mission—to think of Jesus, to speak of Jesus, to bring Jesus from our own experiences and to be excited like the woman at the well. In this season of Lent, I urge you to live your true identity in response to God’s faithful gift.
During this season of Lent, think about how your place in society, such as your race, culture, economic status, gender, or social status, can help you to continue God’s mission in the world. Declare the radical message from the Messiah and the prophet Isaiah that God’s blessings are for all people, even the foreigners and the eunuchs, who are no longer excluded from worship and who are welcomed as members of the church and citizens of this world. Will you let God use your testimony so that others will come to meet Jesus and hear and answer their call to God’s goodness?
Rev. Theophous H. Reagans, Esq.
Director of Global Ministries
Allen Temple Baptist Church
Oakland, CA
Prayer
Gracious God,
We thank You for Your word that speaks to us and reveals Your love and truth. We thank You for the example of the woman at the well, who encountered Jesus and became a witness of His grace and power. We thank You for calling us to Your goodness and to Your mission in the world.
Forgive us, Lord, for the times when we have ignored or resisted Your call, when we have been ashamed or afraid to share our faith, when we have failed to see Your image in others who are different from us. Help us, Lord, to be open and obedient to Your voice, to be bold and joyful in proclaiming Your gospel, to be respectful and compassionate towards those who need Your touch.
We ask You, Lord, to fill us with Your Spirit and to empower us to live out our calling. We pray that You would use us to bring others to You, to invite them to come and see the Messiah who knows us and loves us. We pray that You would bless us with opportunities to serve and to grow, to learn and to love, to worship and to witness.
We praise You, Lord, for Your faithfulness and Your generosity, for Your mercy and Your justice, for Your holiness and Your humility. You are the Messiah, the Son of God, the Savior of the world. We give You all the glory and honor, now and forever. Amen.
by Eron Henry | Mar 1, 2024 | Lent 2024
By Rev. Dr. Cureton L. Johnson
“These are the words of Him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. … Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life” Rev. 2:8b, 10c (NIV)
Jesus knew that fear is a human condition, but the Master encouraged the saints of God to choose faithfulness over fear. As he drew near to the cross during the last days of his life, Jesus faced death and the temptation to fear. In the end, Jesus chose faithfulness over fear in the Garden of Gethsemane when he prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42)
In the book of Revelation, Jesus did not express a single complaint against the church at Smyrna. His post-resurrection voice encouraged them “to be faithful unto death” and “not be afraid” of persecution and evil threatening them. Today, our nation is divided as culture wars threaten us with book banning, with revisionist Black history, and even the denial of the evils of slavery. White nationalism and racial violence have increased, but we Christians today, like those in Smyrna, must remain faithful to the teachings of Jesus Christ even in times of great danger. Don’t worry about the next election, just be faithful and vote.
Faithfulness is steadily putting your trust and hope in Jesus Christ. Jesus told the Smyrna Christians that their time of tribulation would be limited (Rev. 10b). That’s good news brothers and sisters, for it lets us know that Satan is a defeated foe! Indeed, Christ’s words assure us that God will bring us victory out of the worst of times! (Hebrews 10:23)
Therefore, be faithful, don’t let the Devil distract you from God’s calling upon your life. Don’t let fear keep you from praising the Lord and sharing your faith in Jesus Christ. If you are faithful to Christ, you will receive the crown of an overcomer—the crown of life! (Rev. 2:10)
Dr. Cureton L. Johnson is the Pastor Emeritus at the First Baptist Church in Fayetteville, N.C. where he served as senior pastor for 28 years.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, as we stand in the shadow of the cross, we call upon Your name, seeking Your guidance and strength. We are reminded by Your words in Revelation 2:8b, 10c that You call us to be faithful, even to the point of death, and that in doing so, You will give us the crown of life. We are inspired by Your faithfulness in the Garden of Gethsemane, where You chose to trust in the will of the Father rather than succumb to fear.
In this time of division and uncertainty, we are encouraged to remain faithful to Your teachings, just as You encouraged the church at Smyrna. We are not to be afraid of the challenges that may come, whether they are cultural wars, racial violence, or the denial of historical injustices. We are to stand firm in our faith, knowing that our time of tribulation will be limited and that You, Lord, are our victor over the forces of evil.
We trust in Your promise that faithfulness brings victory, as stated in Hebrews 10:23. We choose to put our trust and hope in You, Lord, even as You promised the Smyrna Christians. We will not let fear distract us from Your calling on our lives or prevent us from praising You and sharing our faith in You. We are faithful to You, Jesus, and in that faithfulness, we believe that we will receive the crown of an overcomer—the crown of life.
Lord, we pray for Your strength to stand firm in our faith. We ask that You would silence the lies of the enemy and guide us to step over his traps. We trust in Your promise to protect our way and bring us safely through the trials we face. We choose to set our eyes on You and not on our circumstances, choosing joy over despair, peace over worry, and faith over fear.
We pray for Your will to be done and not our own, and we choose to find rest and joy in You today. We thank You for Your goodness and favor over our days, for Your great hope, and for the purpose You have for our future. We lay it all down before You, trusting in Your promise to be with us and to fight for us, even behind the scenes where we cannot see.
Lord, help us to be strong and courageous, not to fear or be discouraged, for You are with us wherever we go. We pray for Your help to release the burdens we carry and to fill us with fresh faith in Your promises. We ask that You would open doors and close those that are not needed, and help us to stop wrestling with our circumstances. We trust in Your mighty hand to guide us through the darkest nights, for You are near to us and with us always.
In Your name, we pray. Amen.
by Eron Henry | Feb 29, 2024 | Lent 2024
What is agape love? It is the highest form of love, the kind of love that God has for us and that we are called to have for one another. It is selfless, sacrificial, unconditional, and active. It is not based on feelings or emotions, but on a deliberate choice to seek the best for others, even when they are undeserving or unresponsive.
This love is the foundation of the church, and this love’s foundation is Jesus Christ. Jesus is the perfect expression of love, who came to earth to die for our sins and to reconcile us to God. He loved us while we were still sinners, and commands us to love one another as He has loved us. He said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35, ESV)
How can we love like Jesus? We can’t do it on our own. We need the Holy Spirit, who pours out God’s love into our hearts and enables us to love with agape love. We also need to abide in Jesus, who is the source of love. He said, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved You. Abide in my love.” (John 15:9, ESV) As we abide in Jesus, we will bear the fruit of the Spirit, which includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23, ESV)
Agape love is not easy, but it is possible. It is possible because God first loved us, and gives us the grace and the power to love others. It is possible because Jesus is our example and our motivation. It is possible because the Holy Spirit is our helper and our guide. It is possible because we are the church, the body of Christ, and we are called to love one another as He has loved us.
Prayer
Lord, we thank You for Your agape love, the love that is unconditional, sacrificial, and selfless. The love that never fails, never gives up, and never runs out. The love that sent Your Son to die for us, and that raised Him from the dead.
Lord, we confess that we often fall short of Your love. We struggle to love You with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. We struggle to love our neighbors as ourselves. We struggle to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. We struggle to love the least of these, the poor, the oppressed, the marginalized, the forgotten.
Lord, we ask for Your forgiveness and Your grace. We ask for Your power and Your presence. We ask for Your Spirit and Your guidance. We ask for Your wisdom and Your discernment. We ask for Your courage and Your compassion.
Lord, we pray that You would help us to love like You love. To love with agape love, the love that is possible because of You. To love with agape love, the love that is possible because of Jesus. To love with agape love, the love that is possible because of the Holy Spirit. To love with agape love, the love that is possible because of the church.
Lord, we pray that You would fill us with Your love, and that You would overflow us with Your love, so that we can share it with the world. We pray that Your love would transform us, and that Your love would transform the world. We pray that Your love would be seen, and that Your love would be known.
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
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