Saiints,,

The final call on whether Revival for tonight will be cancelled will be made at 6:00 p.m.. We are waiting to see if power will be restored to the church by then. Please stay tuned for an update at 6:00 p.m. today, July 10, 2024. Prayerfully everyone is well and safe.

Blessings!

“We praise thee, O God, for the Son of thy love, for Jesus who died and is now gone above. Hallelujah, thine the glory! Hallelujah, Amen! Hallelujah, thine the glory! Revive us again.”

With the words of William P MacKay’s “Revive Us Again” as a precursor, let us prayerfully prepare for our Revival and Soul Saving Campaign.

First of all, let this Pastor remind you that Revivals are “prayed down” from the Father. In Psalm 85:6-7, the sons of Korah are asking God to revive their people, bringing them back to spiritual life. God is capable of reviving both churches and individuals. In Psalm 138:7, we are reminded that irrespective of our situation, how low we may feel, how much trouble we may find ourselves in, God will revive us and save us. In this meeting, there is revival and soul saving. Evangelism is the core function of the Lord’s church. It is a command of the Lord to be an active soul winner. Hear the Lord: “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” (Proverbs 11:30) Child of God, you are a model of a meaningful life. Your life reflects the concern you have for the lost. Christ only, is the hope of glory.

We are days away from the beginning of the Revival and Soul Saving meeting. As always there are three things that this Pastor asked of everyone:

•      (1) Pray for a move of God in the meeting, this includes praying for the evangelist. Pre-revival prayer is July 8^th and 9^th.
•      (2) Support the Revival financially.  (We support our efforts.)
•      (3) Support the Revival with your presence. Be in attendance for the three nights and bring someone with you.

May God bless this Revival and Soul Saving Campaign.

Pastor J. Amos Jones

The first blessing is Renewed Strength.  Genesis 45:22-27 tells of the spirit of Jacob that was revived when he was told the good news that Joseph was yet alive.  When Jacob heard from Joseph and saw how Joseph had sent life-saving provisions, the scripture says Jacob’s confidence was restored.  His strength was renewed.  In the same way, when we hear from the Son and see His provisions, our confidence is restored.  Simply put, our strength is renewed. 

Revive:  To live again more vigorously.  Obviously, this is our prayer as the desired result for our revival.  That Friendship Missionary Baptist Church will live in Him more vigorously. A Holy Ghost anointed revival gives a congregation four levels of blessings that truly reflects a life lived with spiritual vigor. 

The second blessing is Refreshment.  Judges 15:18-19 gives the account of Samson after he had slain a thousand Philistines and was “sore athirst.”  Samson said to the Lord, “You gave me great deliverance, and now I die of thirst.”  But God gave him water out of the jawbone of an ass that Samson had used to slay the thousand men.  And so it is, the same word that is offensive weapon is also our refreshment.  Drink deeply of His life giving water and be revived again.

The third level of blessing coming out of our participation in the revival is Restoration.  Nehemiah 4:2 tells us of the ridicule heaped upon Nehemiah and the Jews by Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem, in their opposition to the building of the wall of Jerusalem, “will they revive (rebuild with) the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?”  Ah, but hear Nehemiah, “So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof:  for the people had a mind to work.”  (Nehemiah 4:6)  Please know this dear ones, you can begin again.  Out of the ashes of broken lives there is restoration.  Praise God!

Rev. J. Amos Jones

Very oft times when we hear in the church the word “tradition,” it is almost always used in a negative sense. This is unfortunate because many traditions are very positive and are worthy of our adherence. In II Thessalonians 2:15, The Apostle Paul admonishes the church to: “Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.”

Paul tells the people of God to hold tenaciously to his teachings, both orally and in written form. One of the traditions Paul elaborates upon is found in II Thessalonians 3:6, the tradition of hard-work. (I find this to be a tradition that the entire body of Christ can embrace.) While in Thessalonica, the Apostle Paul was “hard-work” personified. Paul, by his own admission, was not lazy, would not accept hand-outs, and chose not to be a burden to anyone. Interestingly, the tradition of hard-work is applicable in Kingdom work as it is in secular work. Hard-work, a tradition found in our neighborhood. Respect for elders, another tradition in our neighborhood. Leviticus 19:32: Show your fear of God by standing up in the presence of elderly people and showing respect for the aged. I am the Lord. (New Living Translation) (This is a scripture this Pastor has lived by, even though I didn’t know there was that scripture.)

Traditionally, the church has always been very important in our community. Reverential fear of the Lord and respect for His people and His day has been the norm. To quote Paul, “stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.”

Be blessed and let the church be the church.
Pastor J. Amos Jones