Here we are one week away from celebrating our seventy-sixth Church Anniversary.  Truly God has been good and He has been faithful.  This Pastor is so honored that our God has allowed him to pastor this Church for forty-three of the seventy-six years.  To God be the glory for His (God’s) divine leadership.  Truly, I join with David in Psalm 61:3-5 as he acknowledges that God has never failed him as a refuge and that God’s sanctuary is the place of security:  “For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.  I will abide in thy tabernacle forever:  I will trust in the covert of thy wings.  For thou, O God, hast heard my vows:  Thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name.”  Thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name.”  God has been good and His promises are forever.  In forty-three years this Church has experienced many changes, and that is good, however, the concept of right and righteous never changes.  All unrighteousness is still sin.  The wages of sin is still death, but the Gift of God is still everlasting light.  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16).  That’s the Truth, my Brothers and Sisters.  Jesus is still the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Dear Ones, “Is there anything whereof it may be said, See, this is new?  It hath been already of old time, which was before us” (Eccl. 1:10).  Simply put, many things seem to be new simply because the past is easily and quickly forgotten.  The old ways reappear in new guises. 

 Let us continue.  The best is yet to come.

 Pastor J. Amos Jones

Musing with the Pastor.  In the September issue of The Resource, a publication for Youth-Reach Houston, The director has some interesting things to say about “Entitlement vs Gratitude”.  Curt Williams is the founder-director of Youth-Reach Houston, a ministry that this Church supports financially.  This is an organization that does great work with troubled boys.  Curt says “What cannot be debated is that an entitled heart cannot co-exist in the same chest as a grateful heart.”  Curt continues “That’s right; one dispels the other.  A grateful man revels in what he has, while an entitled man is quick to take.  A grateful man is full of joy, while an entitled man is never happy.  Entitlement destroys any semblance of gratitude, while gratitude eliminates the possibility of feeling entitled.  One cannot exist with the other.”  Well said, Curt, and we know that Youth-Reach Houston is good soil to sow into.

Please join this Pastor in praying for Curt, the staff, and the young men that Youth-Reach serves.  Let me give you a personal invitation to attend the FMBC Informational meeting on Thursday, September 8, 2016, at 7:30 p.m., your participation is welcomed and appreciated.  I hope to see you at the meeting.

 Be blessed as we serve Him with hearts filled with gratitude.

 Pastor J. Amos Jones

Most of us are familiar with the term I.Q. or Intelligence Quotient.  That is a number indicating  a person’s level of intelligence:  it is the mental age (as shown by intelligence tests) multiplied by 100 and divided by the chronological age.  Alright, you know about I.Q., but do you know about G.Q.?  Not men’s fashion but giving quotient. 

The formula for G.Q. is:  love for God, obedience to His Word and add to the above, a lavish knowledge of His written Word.  Our G.Q. is known to God and it is evidenced by the spirit of giving.  Hear what David says about giving.  In 2 Samuel 24, David goes to Araunah the Jebusite, to secure his threshingfloor, to build an altar unto the Lord.  Araunah offers to give David the threshingfloor, oxen for the burnt sacrifice, threshing instruments and the needed wood.  Araunah says to David, “take them, they are yours at no cost to you.”  Watch as David’s G.Q. is displayed.  “And the King said unto Araunah, nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price:  Neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing.  So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver” (2 Samuel 24:24).  Do you see it?  God deserves your very best gift and your greatest devotion.

 Be blessed in your giving.

 Pastor J. Amos Jones

Musings with the Pastor. 

 We praise God for a marvelous and blessed Family and Friends Day.  What a tremendous move of God.  The young men who were program participants were a particular blessing.  They operated under an awesome anointing and to God be the glory!  A big “God Bless You” goes out to every person who contributed to this wonderful event.  To Those who were involved in food preparation, sound room personnel, ushers, music department, and program preparation committee, thank you for a job well done.

 For the past several months, we have been involved in Capital Improvements of the facility here at Friendship.  (May I remind you that we moved into this building the first Sunday of January in 1996.)  The Lord has been gracious to us.  This Pastor is reminded of a portion of David’s prayer that is found in 2nd Samuel 7:18:  “Then went King David in, and sat before the Lord, and he said, Who am I, O Lord God?  And what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto?”  David acknowledges that what God has pledged to Him is for Israel’s sake—and that its ultimate effect will be the honor and praise of God throughout the world.  So it is what God has done for Friendship.  This facility is still beautiful at twenty plus years and it will continue to the honor and praise of God throughout this community.  Will you help in the Capital Improvement program?  Through the Building Fund effort, please consider your best one time gift to be contributed by Church Anniversary day and then contributions to the Building Fund as the Lord leads you.  As David continues in his prayer, v. 26a “And let thy name be magnified forever.”

 Be blessed as you seek the Lord for the level of your gift.

 Pastor J. Amos Jones