Message sent on behalf of Pastor J. Amos Jones – Rachel Alexandre

Good evening Friendship Missionary Baptist Church Family,

It is with a heavy heart and great sadness that I announce the passing of Sister Rachel Alexandre this afternoon.

Services are pending.

Have a blessed evening.

“And then the flood came.”  June 28, 2014, This Church is preparing to celebrate Annual Men’s Day, New Members graduation, a guest Minister is to speak during the Morning Worship Hour, and we are to carry out one of the Ordinances of the Church, Baptism.  What could have been viewed as an insurmountable obstacle became an opportunity for hard working brothers to demonstrate the overcoming power of the Lord.

The Word tells us in Isaiah 54:17:  “No weapon that formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn.  This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord.  And their righteousness is of Me, saith the Lord.”  Moreover in the New Testament, 1 John 4:4:  “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them:  because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.”   In times of gut wrenching adversity, the true character of a person is displayed for all to observe.  The brothers were magnificent.  They truly rose to the occasion.  They worked together like a well-oiled machine.  They truly wrought a good work.  With the exception of New Members graduation, we were able to complete everything on the agenda for that day.  Not only did we fulfill our commitment to Him, but we saw Him respond to our efforts with a mighty move of the Holy Spirit.

When I reflect on Men’s Annual Day (“The Day the Flood came” will forever be linked to it), I will always be reminded of what great men we have at Friendship.  Men who have been through the flood and have come out more than a conqueror.  “To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever (Jude 1:25).

Men, be blessed as we continue in HIM.

 Pastor J. Amos Jones

“And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath:  but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”  (Ephesians 6:4).  In the simplicity, yet Profoundness, of this statement on parenting, the Lord gives us two keys to being a good father.  Do you see it?  Good fathers do not provoke their children, but rather they provide for them.  Parenting is not easy – it takes a lot of patience to raise children in a loving, Christ-honoring manner.  The purpose of parental discipline is to help children grow, not to hurt or discourage them.  Frustration and anger should not be causes for discipline.  Rather, parents should act in love, providing agape love; the love that God has for His children (the kind of love Israel had for Joseph).

Jesus, the Master Teacher speaks on providing for needs in Matthew 7:9-11 and that is what fathers do, though imperfect beings: “if ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children.”  To this Pastor, the “acid test” for fathers is how do you love the children’s mother?  “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it.”  (Ephesians 5:25)

Fathers, be blessed on this your day, as you provoke not and provide for.

 Pastor J. Amos Jones