The Joy In Giving

ABC News God Bless! And MayHeaven Smile Upon You

Volume 1, Issue 9 SUNDAY, November 7, 2021

The Joy In GivingIt is more blessed to give than to receive

Luke 6:38King James Version

Give, and it shall be given unto you;good measure, pressed down, and shaken

together, and running over, shall mengive into your bosom. For with the samemeasure that ye mete withal it shall be

measured to you again.

Acts 20:35King James Version

I have shewed you all things, how thatso labouring ye ought to support theweak, and to remember the words of

the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is moreblessed to give than to receive.

2 Corinthians 9:6-8Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly

will also reap sparingly, and whoeversows generously will also reap

generously. Each of you should give whatyou have decided in your heart to give,

not reluctantly or under compulsion, forGod loves a cheerful giver.

Proverbs 11:25A generous person will prosper;

whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

Matthew 6:2So when you give to the needy, do not

announce it with trumpets, as thehypocrites do in the synagogues and on

the streets, to be honored by others. TrulyI tell you, they have received their reward

in full.

James 1:27Pure and genuine religion in the sight of

God the Father means caring for orphansand widows in their distress and refusing

to let the world corrupt you.

1 Corinthians 13:3If I give all I possess to the poor and give

over my body to hardship that I may boast,but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Luke 3:11John answered, “Anyone who has two shirtsshould share with the one who has none, andanyone who has food should do the same.”

Matthew 6:3-4But when you do a charitable deed, do not

let your left hand know what your righthand is doing, that your charitable deed

may be in secret; and your Father who seesin secret will Himself reward you openly.

Proverbs 19:17Whoever is generous to the poor

lends to the Lord, and he will repayhim for his deed.

Proverbs 31:9Speak up and judge fairly;

defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Hebrews 13:16Do not neglect to do good and to

share what you have, for suchsacrifices are pleasing to God.

One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only sufferswant. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.

– Proverbs 11:24-25

There's an old expression; "Give 'til itHurts". But in truth, nothing feels better tothe soul than giving.

Having enough to be able to share withothers is a tremendous blessing. Just thejoyous expression on someone's face thatyou've helped in their time of need, isrewarding. But the greatest benefit inheartfelt, selfless giving is the knowledgethat God is pleased with your actions.

I take great pride in serving alongside thefolk at Antioch. I've found in them a truespirit of giving and generosity. That samespirit was present in Jesus Christ, hisdisciples, and all the believers throughoutthe biblical history.

A Merry Heart Does Good Like Medicine proverbs 17:22

Pastor's Page

God Bless! And MayHeaven Smile Upon You


The Church has gotten a bad reputation as it relates to money. I will be the first to admit therehave been outlandish practices from some who call themselves Christians. It's indefensible. But,by the same token, there are countless believers that adhere to best practices with respect toserving, giving, providing and loving. It's sad that there are some that would take advantage ofthe blessedness of giving. It's arguably the greatest gift God has bestowed upon mankind.

November is National Gratitude Month, which is appropriate since it’s also the month whenThanksgiving is celebrated. This is a time we generally set aside for family and friends.However, this is also a great time for reflection, prayer, and helping our neighbors. This is theperfect time to show our gratitude.

There's no better gift to give to the Lord than our sincere heartfelt gratitude. And that's bestdemonstrated when we serve those that need help the most.

So, please let's not forget those in need during this holiday season (or any other season for thatmatter). Nothing brings us closer to the heart of God than giving.

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Hayden Kopser


Doubters Welcome

Have you ever had doubts? Have you ever questioned what God means by the signs he puts in your life? Do you everquestion Christ’s words, even though you have faith that you understand what he means? We may keep these doubtssilent out of shame, but we should have no fear. Not only did Disciples, Apostles, and Prophets have doubts, butsome who even saw Jesus face to face and had the opportunity to ask him questions doubted him as soon as he hadleft their sight, and many men did so, even while he stood before them.

The first time I read the Bible I noticed with shock how frequently the people of God strayed. Starting with Genesisand carrying on steadily through Revelation, Man’s tendency to fall short of the glory of God is one of the Book’smost consistent themes. Even men and women like Adam and Eve who heard from God directly proved disobedient.Peter, who had the chance to ask Jesus questions in person denied him thrice on the night of his suffering despiteJesus’ capture having proved his words to the Disciples true.

We all have laughed or shaken our heads at Peter’s seeming insecurity in his faith and lack of understanding aboutmany concepts Jesus taught. While he was admittedly hard headed at times, we must also remember that he waschosen as Christ’s gatekeeper and the first head of the Church. Why would Christ choose a man who he knew woulddeny and doubt him to serve as one of the primary figures who would establish His Church? I believe it was for justthe reason of his doubting that Christ chose him, even in advance of the denials Peter claimed he would not make.

Just as God loved us all before we loved him, so too did Christ trust Peter’s abilities even before Peter trusted Him orhimself. He certainly claimed to trust Jesus, but his actions during Christ’s suffering tell a different story. It is atestament to Jesus’ mercy that he chose a one-time doubter to be his gatekeeper. Who could be more forgiving than aman as frequently failed and forgiven as Peter? A man as biblically well-versed and serious as Paul may have beenthe perfect choice to establish the rules and infrastructure of our Church, something Peter helped with on a smallerscale, but Paul, despite being a repentant former enemy of Christ, would not have been the perfect choice to lead theearly Church and of more importance to serve as Christ’s gatekeeper.

Peter, in his doubting and failing, showed Christ his undeniable humanity and Christ entrusted him with the task ofshowing us the same mercy he showed Peter.

This is no excuse to intentionally doubt andfail in our respective walks, but perhaps wecan take the life of Peter as a testament toChrist’s unending willingness to forgive usfor our fleshly failings. While we shouldstrive for perfection, it is not a possibility inthis life and so we must always be ready torepent and continue to carry our cross and toforgive ourselves for our doubting, just asChrist forgave Peter and forgives us everytime we seek mercy when he proves ourdoubting wrong.

Message to the Editor

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Antioch in the CommunityBe Doers of the Word and Not Hearers Only....

Here's a pictorial Celebration of The Fantastic Giving-Back the

Springfield Unity Project and Antioch CDC Did During 2021!

And the Best is Yet to Come...

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Antioch in the CommunityBe Doers of the Word and Not Hearers Only....



This month's community SPOTLIGHT shines on Altarik White, founder and executive director of Leaders for Life, Inc.(L4L) Leaders for Life, Inc. seeks to become partners with individuals in their desire to succeed academically,professionally and personally. They have over 30 combined years of successful experience working with residents in thecity of Newark and Essex County But the SPOTLIGHT is shining on their newest endeavor: The Community Fridge

White gathered funds and built partnerships to stock a community fridge on Aug. 11, 2021. He gifted residents with thefridge as a resource anyone can enjoy. No fees or sign-ups required, he said. All residents are invited to take what theyneed; and are encouraged to give back so future families can enjoy it too.

So far, the initiative has garnered support from Newark Beverage Inc. Also Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and the City havecontributed along with donations from several community members. This has allowed L4L to feed more than 575residents within the first six weeks.

It is our hope to form a supportive partnership and strategic alliance to help this wonderful organization continue its workin that community.

ABC Newspaper was able to catch up with this busy community servant

to conduct a brief interview. To view please follow the link above.

https://youtu.be/XObKEj_khTo

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

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Medicare’s Open Enrollment is now – December 7. Review your Medicare health and drugcoverage and compare it with other plans that may better meet your needs.

During Open Enrollment, you can make these changes for your 2022 coverage:

Change how you get your Medicare coverage —Original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage Plan

Switch Medicare Advantage Plans (with or without drug coverage) Join, switch, or drop aMedicare drug plan. Review your options

Even if you’re happy with your current Medicare coverage, it’s important to review yourcoverage options for 2022.

It’s time to shop & compare plans for 2022

Please join our youth in giving thisyear to Toys for Tots.

This organization is a highly rankedcharity that supports children right inour area.

Since 2001 ranked as one of the toprated charities by “Philanthropy 400”

Unmodified opinions on AuditedFinancial Statements (1994 -Present)

Average Program to Support Serviceexpense ratio: (2000 -Present) 97:3

Continues to meet all 20 standardsestablished by the Better BusinessBureau WiseGiving Alliance

The objectives of the Foundation areto help less fortunate childrenthroughout the United Statesexperience the joy of Christmas; toplay an active role in thedevelopment of one of our nation’smost valuable resources – ourchildren; to unite all members oflocal communities in a commoncause for three months each yearduring the annual toy collection anddistribution campaign; and tocontribute to improving communitiesin the future.

We've conveniently placed boxes inthe hallway nearest the churchoffice.

If you have any questions please contact

the Youth Adviser: Elder Micah Savage


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The Joy In Giving