Archives for September 2015
FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK – Sunday, September 27, 2015
Musing with the Pastor. How absolutely wonderful was the anniversary program for Church Anniversary Seventy-five. A big “God bless you” to every person who contributed to this marvelous effort. To Sister Karen Fields and Minister Vanessa Adderly, kudos for your leadership. Yours was indeed a Colossians 3:23 performance. What a tremendous job Sister Mona Hightower did in producing a program grand enough for a seventy-fifth anniversary. Thank you “Ms. Mona”. A special thank you to Sister Lillie Metters and Brother Thomas Barnett, and to those who worked along with them, for the great food. It was food fit for a seventy-five year celebration. To all the program participants, sound room personnel, ushers and members, thank you for your involvement, your participation and your presence. All of you made it a very special day. Thank you and God bless you.
On this afternoon, we will have a very helpful financial seminar and we will also have an outing to New Jerusalem Church of God in Christ. This Pastor is asking you to make a Herculean effort and support them both. The financial seminar will have some very beneficial information that can be a blessing to YOU. Hear what the Word says: “My people are destroyed (cut-off) for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6a). Please attend.
We are looking for as many as will join us at New Jerusalem COGIC at 3:30PM. Can we do both? YES WE CAN.
Pastor J. Amos Jones
FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK – Sunday, September 27, 2015
Musing with the Pastor. How absolutely wonderful was the anniversary program for Church Anniversary Seventy-five. A big “God bless you” to every person who contributed to this marvelous effort. To Sister Karen Fields and Minister Vanessa Adderly, kudos for your leadership. Yours was indeed a Colossians 3:23 performance. What a tremendous job Sister Mona Hightower did in producing a program grand enough for a seventy-fifth anniversary. Thank you “Ms. Mona”. A special thank you to Sister Lillie Metters and Brother Thomas Barnett, and to those who worked along with them, for the great food. It was food fit for a seventy-five year celebration. To all the program participants, sound room personnel, ushers and members, thank you for your involvement, your participation and your presence. All of you made it a very special day. Thank you and God bless you.
On this afternoon, we will have a very helpful financial seminar and we will also have an outing to New Jerusalem Church of God in Christ. This Pastor is asking you to make a Herculean effort and support them both. The financial seminar will have some very beneficial information that can be a blessing to YOU. Hear what the Word says: “My people are destroyed (cut-off) for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6a). Please attend.
We are looking for as many as will join us at New Jerusalem COGIC at 3:30PM. Can we do both? YES WE CAN.
FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK – Sunday, September 20, 2015
What an awesome day of celebration this is. This is the day the Lord has made, we will celebrate and be glad in it!!
Seventy-five years ago, God birthed the Friendship Missionary Baptist Church into the four corners area of Fort Bend County. That was the day that God’s purpose for ministry in this community was brought to fruition. This Pastor knows for certain that God has set this congregation in the Universal Church as it has pleased Him. “And God hath set some in the Church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, governments, diversities of tongues” (1st Cor. 12:28).
God has truly equipped Friendship for the work He has ordained for her. Moreover, God has wonderfully placed the leadership, all that are involved in the ministry of “helps”, and every member according to His plan, and His purpose throughout these seventy-five years. It has been this Pastor’s great privilege to have served as Pastor for forty-two of those seventy-five years. How humbling that is.
The Word that Almighty God spoke to Zerubbabel through the prophet Zechariah were certainly for this Pastor: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of host” (Zech. 4:6) Even though Zerubbabel did not possess the royal might and power that David and Solomon enjoyed, he would still complete the rebuilding of the temple because he had the Spirit’s enablement. Praise God for the work of the Holy Spirit. “He shall glorify me: for He shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you” (John 16:14).
Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, Holy Ghost infused and Holy Ghost led. To God be the glory for all He has done to bring us to this day.
Happy birthday, Friendship!
Pastor J. Amos Jones
FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK – Sunday, September 13, 2015
In the fourth chapter of the book of Genesis, there is an exposition of the actions of Cain. His actions reflect what is now characterized as “The Cain Syndrome”. The dynamics of this condition presents a dangerous phenomena in the Church of the Living God. “Syndrome” is defined as: “A number of symptoms occurring together and characterizing a specific condition”.
The condition of Cain’s heart was clearly revealed by his anger at God’s refusal to receive his offering. His worship parallels that of countless numbers of church members of today, merely having “a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof” (2 Timothy 3:5). A worship that is void of any genuineness or reality. Had Cain’s offering been presented in the right spirit, there would have been no “wroth” when Jehovah refused to accept it, but rather a humble desire to know God’s will. The Central truth gathered from Genesis four is that God is to be worshipped. He is to be worshipped through sacrifice, and He is to be worshipped by means of a sacrifice which is appropriated by faith. Hear the Apostle Paul: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1).
The person of God is to “present”. This is volitional surrender to the perfect will of God, even when you do not know God’s perfect will for your life; it is an act of faith. The Holy Writ says Cain “brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord”. Please take note, Cain acknowledged the existence of God, but he prepared to worship Him after his own fashion.
- First, Cain’s offering was a bloodless one, “without shedding of blood is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22).
- Second, Cain’s offering consisted of the fruit of his toil, it was the product of his own labors. In a word, it was the works of his own hands.
- Third, he brought of “the fruit of the ground”, thus ignoring the Divine sentence in Genesis 3:17, “cursed is the ground”.
“The Cain Syndrome” illustrates that unless the darkened understanding of man (mankind) be illuminated by the Word and the enmity of the carnal mind be subdued, the human heart rebels again the things of God.
Be blessed as you are transformed by the renewing of your mind, whereby you demonstrate that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Pastor J. Amos Jones