Clifford Fields            

Jazelle Denman        

Rashad Dixon                 

Gwendolyn Williams   

Shamiko Cloud    

Audell Wiggins  

Janice Wright      

Barbara Holmes  

Lakita Hopkins        

Jessica Smith        

Shamarah McCoy      

 Charles Jerome Brown    

 George Taylor           

Ruthie Hillsman       

THE MISSIONARY CHURCH

Acts 1:8; Mark 16: 15, 16; John 17:18-21; Acts 13:1-5

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:  and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.  (Acts 1:8)

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.  (Mark 16:15, 16)

As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us:  that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.  (John 17:18-21)

Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.

And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister.  (Acts 13:1-5)

Chant:  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen!  Amen!

NEED + OPPORTUNITY = RESPONSIBILITY.

This spiritual equation is a mandate for the twenty-first century Christian.  Jesus, the Master Teacher, shows us in Matthew twenty-five that what is done for the “least of these my brethren,”  it has been done for Him.  “Tsunami,”  hurricanes, “Katrina” and “Rita” have become household words.  These catastrophic events have produced unbelievable and indescribable suffering.  Events of this magnitude, so horrific in nature, demanded a response from caring people.  Friendship Baptist Church stepped up to the plate, as was to be expected, and this Pastor is grateful to this church family for your caring spirit. 

Now, having covered the past, please consider the continuing need that exist all around us.  Jesus tells us Mark 14:7:  “For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good.”  It is interesting how definitively the Bible speaks to the plight of the poor. (Proverbs 28:27)  He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack:  but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.  Do you see it?  Need, opportunity, responsibility; blessings and cursings.  (Proverbs 19:17):  He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will He pay him again.  What an awesome word!

To care for the needs of the poor is to make a deposit in heaven’s savings bank.  The interest from His savings bank is more than generous, it is astounding!  His interest can be a hundred percent, sixty percent or thirty percent.  Only God can continually give that kind of return on your investment; be it your time, your efforts, and/or your money.  Let me share with you a word that the Lord gave to me and that has blessed me tremendously:  “Cast thy bread upon the waters:  for thou shalt find it after many days.”  (Ecclesiastes 11:1)  Need and Opportunity brought together becomes Responsibility (yours and mine).

Be blessed in Him

Pastor J. Amos Jones

GOD’S PROVIDENTIAL CARE

Psalm 91

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

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.

He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust:  his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

Only with thine eyes shall thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

Because thou has made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder:  the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him:  I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

He shall call upon me, and I will answer him:  I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

Chant:  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen!  Amen!

How loving is the inclusiveness of our heavenly Father as He speaks to citizens of the Kingdom.  “In as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me.”  (Matthew 25:40 [b])

Jesus tells us that the standard and object of our charity (love in action) should be “the least of these,” not the “greatest of these.”  Our acts of kindness are done out of hearts of love for the Lord Jesus Christ and for His people, never hoping for a reciprocal favor.  The Lord Jesus is concerned about all of His creation.  The “haves” and the “have-nots”, we are all precious in His sight.  Hear what the infallible Word of God says to those who have ministered to the “least of these:”  For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have showed toward His name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.  Hebrews 6:10)

Dear Ones, God has made us to be His instrumentality for blessing the “least of these” and for seventy-nine years, Friendship has truly lived up to His tasking.  Jesus tells us that admittance into the Kingdom of God is extended to “whosoever.”  Hear what the Lord says:  “Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”  (Mark 8:34 [b])

Thank God that the church is not for spiritual “fat-cats,” but rather the “whosoevers,”.  The benevolent actions of FMBC are all inclusive, from the “down-n-out” to the “up-n-over.”  Whosoever will let them come.  For seventy-nine years, Friendship has been the church with the open door.  “I know thy works:  behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it.”  (Revelations 3:8)

Let us continue.

Pastor J. Amos Jones