Do you really believe He hears?

A prayer meeting took place in Acts 12. It was intercessory... it was earnest... it was because Peter was imprisoned and facing death.

Imagine the scene - EARNEST prayer - "God please release Peter... please set him free... confound the plans of Herod." Similar prayers were going up all over the room. No doubt tears were being shed. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. People tried to ignore the knock, it seemed an intrusion on their prayer time, but the knocking persisted. Unless somebody got up and saw to it the prayer meeting would be increasingly disturbed. Prayers continued to go up "God please release Peter... please set him free... confound the plans of Herod..." while a girl named Rhoda (whose name means "rose") finally got up and answered the door. Hearing Peter's voice she ran back into the crowd, trying to get a word in between the cries of "God please release Peter... please set him free... confound the plans of Herod...." Finally they heard her say, "Peter is at the gate" and their response was, "What? You're nuts... that's impossible." 

I love the way the Bible so often shows us as we are. I see myself in this passage so much. I so often quote my life verse - Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things that thou knowest not. (Jeremiah 33:3 KJV) and then when God does just what He promised therein, I'm amazed.  

Our God is an awesome God! He promises answer to prayer! Why are we surprised when He does just that? Here we see an amazing and miraculous deliverance was granted in answer to prayer that was, at least to a degree, unbelieving prayer. Imagine the awesome power of prayer if we actually believe in it. If we really believed in prayer, we would do it more. If we really believed in prayer, the midweek prayer services in our churches would be better attended. 

Let's start believing in prayer! Oh the privilege of praying for one another... the power that it brings into our church! Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 18:19 KJV) (From "Digging Into the Acts of the Apostles (Volume 1 - Acts 1-14)" by William E. Johnson)

Will you join us Wednesday evening at 6:30 as we pray together? You can pray silently or aloud. You can pray by yourself or with others. You can come and just listen as others pray. No pressure of any kind will be on you to pray or participate in any way you are uncomfortable with. But we need you there - your prayers, whether silent or aloud join with ours and together we approach the throne room of the King. And He hears us. And He answers.

Join in the fight every Wednesday at 6:30 at Friendship Bible Church. 

You have friends at Friendship Bible Church!

Hanging of the Greens

What goes great with chili?

That's right… decorating for Christmas!

Today we will be decorating the church as we begin our celebration of the Savior's birth. We can use all the help we can get for there's a lot to do. All decorations and supplies are provided, but we need willing hands and hearts to hang them.

Join us at 2:00? Delicious chili to follow!

Thanksgiving Giving

At 9:30 on Saturday we will once again be packing and distributing food baskets for those in need. 

If you would like to help, join the team in Fellowship Hall at 9:30 AM. 

MEN'S PRAYER BREAKFAST

"Prayer is our way of entering into the happiness of God himself." (Timothy Keller)

"All of us would be wiser if we would resolve never to put people down, except on our prayer lists." (D. A. Carson)

"Our fallen nature is actually allergic to God and never wants to get too close to him. Thus our fallen nature constantly pulls us away from prayer" (Richard Lovelace)

"As pain tells us of the need for healing, worry tells us of the need for prayer" (Richard Lovelace)

"Prayer without study would be empty. Study without prayer would be blind." (Karl Barth)

Come pray with us - Saturday at 8:00 

Come fellowship with us - Saturday at 8:00 

Come feast with us - Saturday at 8:00

With The Lord

"But just think of stepping on shore, and finding it heaven!"

Our brother Rick Collins went home to be with His Savior this week. He is walking fine now. He is whole and healthy and freely breathing in celestial air.

The funeral service will be at the church on Saturday at 2:00 PM. Please be in prayer for Judy and the family during these hard days.

Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His saints. (Psalm 116:15)

What are your plans for Wednesday evening?

Some Christians will spend this evening scanning Facebook.

Some Christians will spend this evening reading the news.

Some Christians will spend this evening watching inane chatter on television.

Some Christians will spend this evening tinkering in their yards.

Some Christians, when tomorrow comes and they think back on this evening, will have to conclude they did little of lasting significance at all.

But some Christians will INVEST this evening in praying with other believers at their church prayer meeting.

Only one of these activities can solve anything. 

Only one of these activities can heal anything.

Only one of these activities can build anything.

Only one of these activities can fix anything.

Prayer is the key that opens every door.

Prayer is the medicine that heals every hurt.

Prayer is the tool that fixes every break.

Prayer is the answer... always.

Will you invest one hour and pray with your brothers and sisters at Friendship Bible Church this evening?  We meet at 6:30, and we are done by 7:30 at the latest.

You have FRIENDS at Friendship Bible Church!

Hurricane Matthew

Samaritan's Purse tweeted this fact this morning - "More than 1,000 people are reported dead in #Haiti, nearly every home has been damaged by #HurricaneMatthew."

Last Lord's Day we took up a special offering to help with relief efforts in Haiti following this devastating hurricane. We will do the same again this coming Sunday, in case anybody else wishes to participate. The proceeds will go to Samaritan's Purse to assist their efforts in Haiti as well as Florida and the Carolinas. If you wish to partipicate, simply indicate the portion of your offering designated for this project. Mark it Haiti, or Samaritan's Purse, or Relief, or Hurricane.

Once this second offering is collected, we will send the funds directly to Samaritan's Purse.