As we approach Church Anniversary “74”, this Pastor can see in this Church a people that the Lord calls sanctified.  Not because they are without fault, but because they have a relationship with Christ.  Such was the Church of God at Corinth.  Paul writes to the Corinthian Church to instruct and restore the Church in it’s areas of weakness.  He says to them in 1^st Cor. 1:2, “Unto the Church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ, called to be saints”. They were set apart for the Lord, declared holy through faith in Christ’s atoning death on the cross.

 The Corinthian Church had “positional sanctification” and it is quite clear from verses 4-7, they were gifted.  That notwithstanding, they were in need of massive doses of GOD’s WORD.  How important it is for any church, (Friendship included) to “grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ”.  The desire of the child of God is found in Psalm 119:33, 34:  “Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto to the end.  Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart”.

 Friendship, you are gifted saints of God.  To fully fulfill our calling, to be all that God has ordained us to be, “teach me the way of thy statutes”:  (Sunday School, Mission, Brotherhood and Bible Study),  “Give me understanding” (Prayer and Teachers Meeting)”.

 Friendship, the resources are available, in year “75”, my prayer is we will avail ourselves of that which the Father has provided that we may be what He wants us to be.

 Pastor J. Amos Jones

If you are, unfortunately, a person who is afflicted with the character trait of being “tight” with your finances, I have help for you.

 First of all, let me define “tight”.  The word is a fifth-ward euphemism meaning: one who is stingy or miserly.  (We were not conversant with words like parsimonious, niggardly or penurious, but we knew tight).  Being “tight”, stingy or miserly is not God’s way, nor is it how God would have us live our lives.  God is the God of abundance.

 Hear the Word of God.  “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.  For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again”  (Luke 6:38).   The ability to overcome being “tight” is found in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthian Church, Chapters 8:1 – 9:15, where he addresses the matter of the collection of money for the poverty-stricken Christians in Jerusalem.  In discussing the churches of Macedonia, Paul gives the true principle of all Christian giving.  In verse 5of chapter 8, there is the key “first gave their own selves to the Lord”.

 It is astonishing the difference that God’s grace makes in the lives and attitudes of His people.  When you first give yourself to the Lord, His will becomes your will.  A spirit-filled person realizes that he/she is a steward and that God is our source.  Freely we have received, freely give.  “He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will He pay him again” (Proverbs 19:17).

 To overcome being “tight”, give yourself to the Lord and He will direct your path.

Pastor J. Amos Jones

Dear Ones, May I ask what is your PASSION?  (capitalized for emphasis)  Passion usually implies a strong emotion that has an overpowering or compellng effect i.e., extreme, compelling emotion; intense emotional drive or excitement. 

 For this Pastor, it is no secret; I have a passion for the lost, for souls, 2^nd Peter 3:9 gives insight into the heart of God:  “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”.  Out of this passage of scripture is spawn this Pastor’s passion for the lost. 

 Number One, lost humanity being reconciled to Him is a passion of the Lord.    In His desire that none should perish, God gave His only son, the righteous for the unrighteous.

 Moreover, the Lord is extraordinarily patient with fallen humanity, we blow it bigtime and it is because of the Lord’s mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed.  Praise God, His tender compassions fail not.  You now know the Pastor’s passion, however, the question is, what is your passion?

 Let me give you some “Food for Thought”: (1 John 2:15) “Love not the world neither the things that are in the world.  If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him”.  (The world, or realm of sin, which is controlled by Satan and organized against God and righteousness). 

 If your passion is not for God, His Kingdom, His righteousness  or His will and purpose for your life, may I suggest that you subdue your passion and bring it into conformity with the will and desire of Almighty God.  Hear and model the Apostle Paul:  “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ” (Philippians 1:7).

 Be blessed as we continue in Him

 Pastor J. Amos Jones

There is a marvelous song sung by Beverly Crawford that wonderously exclaims that “If the Lord doesn’t do anything else for me, He’s done enough”.  What a wonderful affirmation of thanksgiving.  He has done exceeding abundantly above all that we might have asked or thought, according to the power that worketh in us.  He has blessed us once and He has blessed us twice and He keeps on blessing us.  The scripture tells us in Ephesians 1:3:  “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ”.  Here Paul asserts that Christians have already been made beneficiaries of every spiritual blessing that belongs to and comes from the heavenly places.

 Dear Ones, it is the character of our heavenly Father to bless us.  He has blessed us, past tense; He is blessing us now, present tense; and He shall continue to bless us in the future.  That’s the kind of God we serve.  Please know this, it does not matter what adversities we experience, the burdens we bear, the difficulties we must overcome; praise the Lord, give Him the honor due a loving, gracious, generous heavenly Father. 

 Hear the word of the Lord:  “Blessings are upon the head of the Just:  But violence covereth the mouth of the wicked”.  (Proverbs 10:6).  Well halleluiah!!  “The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow with it”.  (Proverbs 10:22).

 How we thank God for His gifts and His favors, His blessings.

  Pastor J. Amos Jones

Vacation Bible School – 2014.  How we thank and praise God for the delightfully entertaining, thought provoking and Biblical smorgasbord that is the Vacation Bible School.

 The Vacation Bible School is an integral component in the discipling process.  And I must tell you, VBS-2014, using a sports metaphor, hit a homerun.  It was a blessing on so many levels.  The planning and execution for VBS-2014 was outstanding.

 This was a Holy Spirit directed session.  The teaching was superb.  The gifting in our teachers is a blessing to the Kingdom.  As in all things Kingdom, the Word is paramount.  “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).  “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee”  (Psalm 119:11).  “Blessed are they that keep His testimonies, and that seek Him with the whole heart” (Psalm 119:2.  (I trust I’ve made my point).

 It’s the Word, dear people.  What was noteworthy during VBS-2014, in addition to the Word, was the commitment of the volunteers.  I saw people serving in many areas and they were really pleased  to be doing so.  How Christ-like.  “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the interitance:  for ye serve the Lord Christ”  (Col. 3:23-24).  What a blessing for this Pastor.  The people get it!

 As always, the food, the music and the spiritual ambiance were outstanding.  A big “GOD BLESS YOU” goes out to VBS Director, Sister Lynne Bryant and all the wonderful and talented volunteers who made Vacation Bible Class-2014 a Godly learning experience.

 Let us continue in the spirit of VBS-2014.

   Pastor J. Amos Jones