Matthew 5-7 is called the “Sermon on the Mount” because Jesus gave it on a hillside near Capernaum. It is the “Magna Charta” of Christianity. In it Jesus proclaimed His attitude toward the Law and His expectations for those who will be Kingdom-dwellers. In Matthew 5:38-42, Jesus teaches about retaliation, and in Matthew 5:43-48, Jesus teaches about loving enemies. To many Jews of Jesus’ day: “That ye resists not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.” these statements were offensive. Any Messiah who would turn the other cheek was not the military leader they wanted to lead a revolt against Rome.

Many today find it offensive to suggest that our political leaders could learn much from the Sermon on the Mount. They are impressed with those that they perceive to be strong political leaders that are bombastic, bullies, narcissistic, and exudes a “macho” confidence. Jesus tells us: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” What a radical response to injustice and the end result is “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven.” “For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?”

Dear ones, in this very toxic political climate, even if the political leaders do not learn from the Sermon on the Mount, we certainly must. Jesus says in verse 48: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Not sinless perfection, but perfect in character, in holiness, in maturity, and in love. We can be perfect if our behavior is appropriate for our maturity level-PERFECT.

 Be blessed and be perfect,

Pastor  J. Amos Jones

Deacons and Trustees Affirmation Day  On today we, the corporate body of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, celebrate the men who have taken on a laborious task and as such have declared their willingness to serve the Body of Christ, The Church. The essence of this day is a matter of spiritual self-actualization. Men who are real about the title they wear. The reality is, they are who they profess to be. We are celebrating men who understand the qualifications of the diaconate (servant) and are publicly affirming that they possessed those qualifications. There is a spiritual assertion that these are men of integrity and are well respected. These are men who realize who they are working for. Their ultimate commitment is to Him. As members of the body of Christ, we appreciate the commitment to the Lord and His Kingdom that our Deacons and Trustees have made, and we praise God for them. On this day as the Deacons and Trustees assert their Servanthood, let the membership respect the leadership that is found in their Servanthood.

May the Lord Jesus Christ, and God, the Father, comfort your hearts Brethren, and establish you in every good word and work.

Be blessed as you walk in Him.

Pastor J. Amos Jones

With the new year comes a time of reflection and renewal. For some there are new year resolutions. “We will eat better and/or we will lose some weight.” “We will seek to know and to be known better by family and friends.” While these are all commendable and we would only say, go for it. After having said that, let me say this: The new year is a good time to reflect upon and renew our commitment to the work of the Kingdom. It is true that here on earth, that is in the earth realm, God’s work must truly be our own. The words of Jesus comes to mind: “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work (John 9:4). There is the imperative “I must. This is the time to recognize that we have a specified amount of time to work for the Master and He controls the time. We are living now in a time of many distractions, and we must stay focused on the work the Father has ordained for us. Paul picks upon this theme of personal responsibility in Romans 12. In verses 6-8, there is a list of God’s gifts to His church, and He gives faith and power as He wills.
Look at the list and answer the question: Are you totally committed to the gifting He has bestowed upon you? Prophets are bold and articulate. Servers (“ministers”) are faithful and loyal. Teachers are clear thinkers. Preachers (“exhorters”) know how to
motivate others. Givers are generous and trusting. Administrators (“rulers”) are good organizers and managers. Comforters are caring people who are happy to give their time to others.

Be blessed as you walk in Him.

Pastor J. Amos Jones

Well praise God, here we are in a brand-new year! God has been faithful. As we enter into the year 2022, let me ask you to divert and
refocus. Allow me to tell you what I am talking about. In the new year, please divert your attention from the following terms: vaccine
mandates, Omicron virus, Delta virus, COVID variant, product shortages, and political instability. The list could be longer but for our
purposes, let’s use these. Now, with clear minds, let’s focus on the following:
• God’s plan and purpose for your life
• The faithfulness of God
• God’s divine protection for his people
In Psalm 91, see how God is a refuge, a shelter when we are afraid. The believer’s faith in God as protector will carry him/her through all the dangers and fears of life. In 1 John 3:1, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God:” As believers, our overcoming power is based on the fact that God loves us and calls us His children. We are His children right now in 2022, not just sometime in the distant future. Knowing that we are His children encourages us to live as Jesus did. Jesus says in John 16:33: “These things I have spoken unto you, that ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulations: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” We, dear people, are overcomers.
Again, in 2022 let’s divert and refocus. Happy new year!

Pastor J. Amos Jones

This is the day after Christmas and in 6 days we will enter into the year 2022. By any reasonable assessment, God has been good to us. Not only has he been good, he has been ever so faithful. I am sure that you, like so many others, have had some good days, and some days that were not so good, but when you think things over, we have to say “Thank you Jesus!”  As we approach a new year, this pastor joins with King David in a Psalm 145 praise: “I will extol thee, my God, O king; And I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.”

Year to year and generation to generation, our God is great beyond discovery. Irrespective of what has happened or what will happen our God is the mighty God who does mighty acts across many generations. Because God is full of love, he satisfies all who trust in him. Dear ones, as we enter into the year 2022, see God as David depicts him in Psalm 145. He is full of great glorious honor and majesty (145:5); He is gracious, compassionate patient, and merciful (145:8); He reaches out to us with tenderness (145:9); He is our source in all our daily needs (145:15, 16) he is righteous and holy in all his dealings (145:17); He listens to our cries and saves us (145:19, 20).

What an awesome God we serve. Don’t enter into 2022 without Him.

Be Blessed.

Pastor J. Amos Jones