Lively Stones Baptist Church Newsletter January 2022

Lively Stones Baptist Church Newsletter January 2022

Pastor’s Pen

I would like to share Ten Principles of the NT church. These principles will give us a great understanding of what a church body is to be doing in this age.

I know culture has changed over the last few years, but the biblical model for church outreach and spiritual growth is the same. We must apply these principles in this day. I call upon all members of Lively Stones, and challenge you to get involved in implementing these principles in our church ministries.

May God bless this New Year with a great harvest of souls! Now, here are the ten principles:

With rethinking church we can look to Acts chapter 2 for ten principles of the New Testament Church:

1)  Verse 1, we see accord; “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.”

2)  Verse 4, we see appropriation; “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost…”

3)  Verse 14, we see authority; “But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words.”

4)  Verse 17, we see allegiance to the word of God; “And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spiritupon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters…”

5) Verse 22, we see adoration; “Ye men of Israel hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God…”

6) Verse 32, we see activity; “This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.”

7) Verse 36, we see attitude; “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

8) Verse 39, we see appeal; “For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”

9) Verse 46, we see atmosphere; “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart.”

10) Verse 47, we see additions; “Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”

Pastor – Rev. Michael J Kent, Sr.

Lively Stones Baptist Church Newsletter January 2022

Lesson on Forgiveness

Aline Weaver Kent, PhD. New Directions Ministry

In this sermon, the first major discourse in Matthew, Jesus trumped the religiosity of pharisaical Judaism with His radical teaching on kingdom life. While the Pharisees reduced the Mosaic Law from a paradigm for lifestyle worship to a nit-picky set of rules, Jesus revealed the heart of the Father by focusing on God’s true law. He taught several vital lessons on personal relationships that we find in Matthew 5:21-48.

In a series of “You have heard it said” propositions, Jesus elevated true worship over a falsely pious show of righteousness (see vs. 21,27,33,38,43). While the Law stated, “Thou shalt not murder,” Jesus informed the disciples that those who harbor angry, hateful thoughts fall into the same category as those who commit murder. He dramatically demonstrated that it is the thought that counts!

Against the backdrop of His teaching on relationships, Jesus emphasized the value of reconciliation to our spiritual lives. In Matthew 5:23-24, He offered clear directions to those who have offended others:

“Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to ytour brother, and then come and present your offering.”

One man seeks to restore his fellowship with God by bringing an offering to the altar. But, in the midst of this holy moment, the man’s conscience pricks him about an infraction against a fellow believer. What does the man do? He immediately leaves his offering to make the problem right and restore the relationship. Then, once he has been reconciled to his brother, he can return to the altar to present his offering to the Lord with a clear conscience.

What a concept! Nowhere else in scripture are we told to stop praying or desist from worshiping God to handle our personal business. But Jesus reminds us that our relationships with others reflect upon our relationship with our Father. We clearly cannot ascend the vertical ladder to God until the rope- bridge to our fellow man has been repaired and successfully crossed.

Leon Morris Notes, “The interruption of so solemn an act emphasizes the overriding importance of reconciliation.” (Leon Morris, The Gospel according to Matthew – Grand Rapisd, Mich. : Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1992, p.116) If we press on in our conversation with God without first seeking forgiveness, we need to realize that His ears are closed until we make that a priority. D.A. Carson eloquently points out, “Forget the worship service and be reconciled to your brother; and only then worship God. Men love to substitute ceremony for integrity, purity and love; but Jesus will have none of it.” (D.A. Carson, The Sermon on the Mount: An Evangelical Exposition of Matthew 5-7 – Grand Rapids, Mich. : Baker Book House, 1978, p.42)

1) In what ways does forgiveness enlarge the future?

2) What makes forgiveness so unnatural? List some specific ways that we suffer when we fail to offer forgiveness to others.

3) List a specific relationship in your life that would be improved if you were to seek or offer forgiveness. What happened to distance you from this person? What has kept you from reconciling your relationship in the past?

Schedule of Events

Lively Stones Baptist Church Newsletter January 2022

12 Months of Kindness

January: Ring in the New Year

Craft New Year’s cards with the kids or on your own and drop them off for delivery at a local nursing home, mental health home, rehab facility, or any other facility that you think might need a little pick me up. You don’t have to know a single resident at the location in order to bring some cheer to many, many people.

February: Make Many Valentines

Take handmade or store bought valentines to your local nurse’s station or bus driver. You can drop off prewrapped candies or cookies as well if you wish. (Make sure you inform them of any allergens you’re aware of!) These people work in thankless jobs daily, so they are sure to feel the love from your gesture!

March: Pass out Some Green
March is all about the color green. Take a few dollar bills and tape them to vending machines. This way someone can enjoy a treat on you! Don’t have the money to spare? Print out a few coupons or cut them out of your Sunday newspaper and leave them on top of corresponding products in the grocery store. It’s the intention that counts and people will appreciate it!

April: Shower Someone with Kindness
April showers! Donate shampoo, conditioner, soap, towels, socks and anything else you see fit to a local homeless shelter. The residents are sure to appreciate the gesture.
This doesn’t have to be a costly endeavor. If funds are tight, take whatever amount of money you can afford and go to the dollar store to shop. Brand names are far less important than the feeling of being warm, clean, and cared for.

May: Bring May Flowers

May is all about flowers in bloom. Take the time to plant some flowers for an elderly neighbor or spruce up the yard of someone who could use the help. The garden will be there to remind them of your generosity long after you leave.

June: Offer a Cold Treat

Take ice cream sandwiches to your local firehouse. Fire fighters battle the heat so that we don’t have to, but they often go underappreciated. Help them cool down with some ice cream or ice cream sandwiches.

July: Pay for Someone’s Picnic
Pay for the person behind you in the food or coffee drive through line. Okay, so maybe they aren’t heading out on a picnic, but they are sure to enjoy you paying for their lunch!

August: Prepare a Child for School
Donate school supplies to a local religious organization or school. There are always families who cannot afford any or all of the school supplies (the lists are often very, very long), so your gift would mean the world to the children as well as their teachers.
Many stores offer back-to-school sales, so keep your eyes open. You’ll find items for $.01 or $.25 at places like OfficeMax (usually with a purchase of five dollars, which can be other school supplies), so there are affordable ways to help a child.

September: Gather Those Canned Goods

This is the time that families are beginning to prepare for the holidays, and many struggle to put a holiday meal on the table. Pick up some extra canned goods and donate them to a local food bank or a collection at the grocery store so that they can help a family in need.

October: Offer Some Warmth
The weather is getting chilly, so this is the time to donate old coats, jackets, hats, gloves, and scarves to someone in need. Clean out those closets and make a donation to a local shelter or the Red Cross.

November: Spread the Toys
Grab an extra toy or two and donate them to a local shelter or Toys for Tots. They will make sure that a child in need get a new gift this holiday season, no matter how tough their current financial situation. Everyone deserves to have something to celebrate during the holidays and your gift will help make that possible.

December: Don’t Forget the Pets
Pets have needs too! Donate blankets, treats, feeding bowls, and other pet related items to a local pet rescue center. You can even offer to volunteer your time to walk dogs, clean kennels, or work the front desk. The best way to find out what they need is to give a call before you shop, but they will appreciate any donation you make!

Most of this list is medium-sized gestures, but you can go much grander (like hiring a cleaning crew for a friend with six kids or offering to spend the day with someone going through all of their closets), or much smaller (like leaving a note on someone’s desk telling them how much you appreciate them). But the bottom line is that there are tons of ways to show kindness if you open your eyes to them. So the next time you hold the elevator for someone who is rushing to get there, make sure to tell them how much you like their shoes. The smallest gestures have the ability to change someone else’s entire day.

Wisdom in a Cup

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit an old university professor. Conversation soon turned in to complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups – porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite – telling them to help themselves to the coffee. When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said:

“If you noticed, all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee in most cases. It’s just more expensive and in some cases even hides what you drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup. But you went for the best cups, and then began eyeing each other’s cups.”

The professor continued, “Now consider this: Life is the coffee, and the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of life we live.”

Sometimes, by concentrating only on the appearance of the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us.