In Psalms 8, the Psalmist poses a profound question: “What is man,that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?” We know that man is the crowning glory of His creation, and that he is made in the image, and after the likeness of the Triune God. What is Man? God’s instrumentality. What is man? Servants of the most High God. Servants who understand that they are to occupy till He comes. The companion question for us is: “Who are the men of Friendship Baptist Church?”

The men of Friendship are men who have been saved and sanctified, that is, set apart for the work of the Kingdom. Who are the men of Friendship? They are men of diverse backgrounds, desires, expectations, however, they all share in their love of the Lord. Here in the church, they are Preachers, Deacons, Trustees, teachers, cooks, and lay members. They are men who understand the provisions of Psalm 133:1-3, “Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life evermore.”  (Thank you, brethren, for the joy of brotherhood).  Lastly, the men of Friendship understand that we live by Biblical principles and standards and not by comparisons. Men, thank you for your service and be blessed on this, your day.

Pastor J. Amos Jones

On this weekend as we celebrate Juneteenth, please remember that while its historical value is of great importance, its spiritual value is of a greater importance.  On June 19, 1865, Union Army General Gordon Granger came to Galveston, Texas and announced the provisions of the Emancipation Proclamation, that the slaves in Texas were free. The slaves were free!  Slavery was the most dehumanizing evil, the greatest example of man’s inhumanity to man.  In Genesis 1:26, created man was given dominion over much of God’s creation, but he was never given dominion over another man. It is out of a Genesis 6:5 heart that we see the thought process that can produce slavery: (And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually). Only an evil heart could birth slavery, but we serve a God who is a deliverer. “And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians” (Exodus 3:7, 8a). God is the sovereign Lord who sees, and He hears, and He cares. It was the delivering God that prompted President Abraham Lincoln in September 1862, to issue the Emancipation Proclamation that would be effective January 1, 1863. Evil delayed but could not stop the hand of God. On June 19, 1865, Juneteenth, word came to Texas. To God be the glory for His delivering power.

Pastor J. Amos Jones

“Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord (Proverbs 18:22).

Husbands, have you considered what the Lord has done for you in causing you to find a true wife?  Such a woman is fully described in Proverbs 31:10-31.  A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband.  She brings him honor and joy.  My dear brothers, you do know that a good wife is an integral part of God’s plan for your life.  “House and riches are the inheritance of fathers:  and a prudent wife is from the Lord.”  (Proverbs 19:14).  Well, that only makes sense because James 1:17 tells us that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”  This Pastor can certainly attest to the veracity of that statement.  He did indeed obtain favor of the Lord when he married Thelma Odessa Flix Bates on June 13, 1957.  If your math is not good, let me help you.  On tomorrow, that will be sixty-five years*.

Pastor J. Amos Jones

*POSTING UPDATED FROM JUNE 12, 2016

While it requires no spiritual insight to know that we are living in the time that the Apostle Paul warned us about in 2 Timothy 3: 1-8.  The question that begs to be asked is this:  How are you, Mr. and Mrs. Church Member, responding to these perilous times?  Is it with a sense of fear and terror or is it with the calm knowledge and trust in Him in whom you have believed?

Many of our leaders have a form of godliness, but they indeed deny the power thereof. There are those who profess to care about children, especially the unborn,” but will not take the necessary actions to provide a safe environment for “born”.   Courageous leaders can do what need be done. What we do not need is the appearance of leadership using caring clichés and not doing anything. 

Dear ones, first of all we must remind ourselves that we walk by faith, not by sight. “I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust. Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence” (Psalm 91:2- 3).  Next, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he May devour” (1 Peter 5:8).  And always, “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thess. 5:17)

And then, brothers and sisters, exercise your right to vote. In every election vote. Seek out good candidates and support them. Remember someone elected the people we have in office now. We can make a difference. “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” (1 Thess. 5:21)

Pastor J. Amos Jones

The mission is Evangelism. From time to time we (the church) need a spiritual revitalization, an infusion of worship and the word. That, my brothers, and sisters, is precisely what a Revival and Soul-saving Campaign does for us.  The time in which we live is an evil time.  Satan is, as the Bible says, seeking those he may devour.  However, our Heavenly Father has placed us here for such a time as this.  We are to set in order the things that are waiting.  Remember, it is the goodness of God that leads to repentance.  “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise as some men count slackness: but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).  Jesus is waiting so that more sinners will repent and turn to Him.  We are His instrumentality, and the Soul-saving Campaign is a part of our out-reach to the lost.

Our 2022 Revival and Soul-saving Campaign is July 6, 7, 8, 2022.  The time is 7:30 p.m. We will have Pre-Revival Prayer Services July 1, and July 5.  In preparation for the revival, let me ask that you do these things: (1) Pray for the Evangelist, his strength in the Lord, Pastor Earl Whitaker is the Evangelist.  (2) Ask the Lord to direct your giving in support of the revival.  And number three, bring someone with you to the revival.  (The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life: and he that winneth souls is wise (Proverb 11:30)).  Be blessed as you prepare for the revival and soul saying campaign.

Pastor J. Amos Jones