“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’ ” (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.).

It is this Pastor’s desire and hope that out of Black History Month will come the sense of community and the knowledge that the living God is with us and it is He that has delivered us.  Dr. King’s life and work as a National Leader of the Civil Rights Movement was geared to improving the lot of all people – irrespective of race, creed, or heritage.  He envisioned a world where we will all enjoy the blessings of freedom, hope and justice.  Dr. King’s dream has not as yet been fully realized, however, we praise God for the great improvements that have been made.  We are all aware of the significant contributions to our community made by Dr. King, but the question each of us must answer is this:  “What am I doing for others?”

Dear Ones, we share a common destiny.  God has richly blessed all of us.  We need only to look where the Lord has brought us from.  I must remind ou that we are blessed to be a blessing.  God gives to each of us according to our individual abilities.  Having said that, we all have something to contribute to the betterment of our society.

Please know this, you can have what you want, if you help others get what they want.  There is still much to be done to address the helplessness, hopelessness and futility that is the breeding ground for much of the Black on Black crime.  We will not find the answers to this country’s ills in the arena of politics, even though we have had a black President.  The answers lie with the Living God who is “among us.”  Can you hear the Apostle Paul, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me?”  Let’s get busy.

A big “GOD BLESS YOU” goes out to Sister Rosa Morrow and dear ladies who worked with her in putting together an excellent Women’s Day Program.  What an awesome program.

To God be the glory.  Thank you so very much.

Pastor J. Amos Jones

Musings with the Pastor.  A really big “God Bless You” and our most sincere thank you goes out to Sister Connie Metters.  The Lord gave her the “Prayer is Power” vision and with His help she brought this program concept to fruition.

On last Sunday we experienced the culmination of this lovely, God-inspired, effort with a Prayer is Power party.  It is this Pastor’s desire that we will continue to under-gird our young people with our prayers and our involvement in their lives.

The wise man tells us in Proverbs 2:1-6:

• “My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
• So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
• Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
• If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hidden treasures;
• Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God
• For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.  (so says the Word of God for the people of God).

Za’Niyah is my “Prayer is Power Ward” and those scriptures speak to my prayer for her and for all the children of Friendship.

Dear Ones, be blessed as you walk in Him and exercise the Power of Prayer

 Pastor J. Amos Jones

Musings with the Pastor.  A really big “God Bless You” and our most sincere thank you goes out to Sister Connie Metters.  The Lord gave her the “Prayer is Power” vision and with His help she brought this program concept to fruition.

On last Sunday we experienced the culmination of this lovely, God-inspired, effort with a Prayer is Power party.  It is this Pastor’s desire that we will continue to under-gird our young people with our prayers and our involvement in their lives.

The wise man tells us in Proverbs 2:1-6:

• “My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
• So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
• Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
• If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hidden treasures;
• Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God
• For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.  (so says the Word of God for the people of God).

Za’Niyah is my “Prayer is Power Ward” and those scriptures speak to my prayer for her and for all the children of Friendship.

Dear Ones, be blessed as you walk in Him and exercise the Power of Prayer

 Pastor J. Amos Jones

During February as we reflect on Black History, there are parallels in Jewish History as presented in the book of Esther that are captivating to this Pastor.  In the intricacy of its plot and the beautiful drama of the book, Esther shows how Divine Providence overrules all things; even in a distant, far country, God’s people are yet in His hands.  The book reminds us that the fate of the Jews was not in the hands of their enemies, but of Almighty God.  They placed their trust in God who would raise up an “Esther” who would “come to the Kingdom for such a time as this.”

In the far country of slavery, the ugliest testimony of man’s inhumanity to man, the anti-biblical concept of man having dominion over another man, even there was His providence in the midst of His people. It is amazing how through the studying of the scriptures that Africans found themselves an important part of the human race and from those early days of slavery until the early 1900s black children would hear their parents say to them “He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and the  make them inherit the throne of glory.”  (1 Samuel 2:8s)

For the Jews, there was Esther and for African-Americans, there was Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman.  There has been great persons of all races and classes and gender who were martyred for the cause of freedom. Freedom is not free!  In the book of Esther, there is the inexorable working of divine judgement. Haman was eventually hanged on his own gallows.  Dear Ones, let me share three requisites from the Word of God:

• And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32)
• If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed (John 8:36
• And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not  (Galatians 6:9.

Be blessed and let us continue.

 Pastor J. Amos Jones