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Ministers of Jesus Christ
Church of The Lord Jesus Christ
Assemblies of The Apostolic Faith
Atlanta, Georgia - USA
Apostle Dennis G. Smith, Pastor and Spiritual Overseer
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Date: June 20, 2021
To all the
Saints of God,
Grace
and peace be unto all the Saints of God around the World. As this
Coronavirus Pandemic continues, we are continually reminding the Saints of
God that we are obeying the magistrates and following the guideline of the
health and governmental authorities for the safety of all people.
Health
authorities and
governmental officials continue to strongly encourage people to wear face
coverings in public gatherings and use social distancing, wash your hands,
and get tested to help stop the spread of the Covid-19 virus. In
some places wearing face mask is mandatory in indoor public spaces.
· As
of June 16, 2021, the City of Atlanta, Georgia remains in Phase 4 of the
Reopening Plan.
· Social
distancing is recommended by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to control
the spread or for individual safety. Medium gatherings with face mask and
social distancing are allowed.
· Covid-19
vaccinations in Georgia are offered to everyone 12 years of age and
older. Note: Pfizer is the only COVID vaccine currently approved for
children aged 12 and older.
We are
continuing limited in-person services with face mask, social distancing, and
temperature checks. We are also continuing online services through Zoom,
Facebook, and YouTube. In-person Baptism and prayer service are available
by attending our local service on site, attending our services on Zoom or
emailing your request to:
As
we obey the Magistrates, we have complete faith that God will continue to
hear our prayers and provide a way for us through these uncertain times.
Romans
13:2-4 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no
power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
TITUS 3:1-2
Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey
magistrates, to be ready to every good work, To speak evil of no man, to be
no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.
This
week’s encouraging words of growth focuses on:
All
Things Work Together for Good (part 1)
By Apostle
Dennis G. Smith
We say to all people honoring fatherhood, paternal bonds, or father
figures in their life on this day and every day, Happy Father’s
Day!! We
give all the Praise and Glory to the Lord Jesus Christ who is God almighty
for all the influence of all fathers in every society for the work you do
daily. May the Lord continue to strengthen you all as you lead your family
to an eternal glorious victory. For those who are having difficulties in
taking on the
Role of Father, the Head of the House, we say may the Lord Jesus touch you
and make you whole according to his eternal will and purpose. May
your celebration today be an encouraging and joyous occasion. We
love you all!!!
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that
love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Apostle Paul emphasizes that all things will work out for our good
since we are the sons of God, and nothing can separate us from his love. The
Holy Spirit assures us that we are God's children as we are led by the Holy
Spirit dwelling within us to defeat sin in our daily lives. Sin is
a any
action, feeling, or thought that goes against divine
law or missing the mark of God’s moral standards. Breaking
God’s laws by doing what is wrong, or unrighteous in God’s sight is generally
considered to be any actions, any thought, word, or act considered immoral,
selfish, shameful, or harmful. The victory
over sin and condemnation is
obtained by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and obedience to
his commandments which gives
us the positive outlook that everything will work out in our favor because
nothing can separate us from the love of God.
Optimism, or a positive mental attitude reflects a belief or hope that
the outcome of all conditions whether seen as good or bad by the natural
carnal man will bring positive, favorable, and desirable results. The
person who has a positive attitude of optimism or is an optimist will see a
glass of water filled to the halfway mark as half full, while a person who
has a negative attitude of pessimism or is a pessimist will see the glass as
half empty. This is commonly taught by
various schools when
looking at the struggles of life with hope or looking at the struggles of
life with despair as having no hope or hopelessness.
Hope is looking for the best possible outcome from any given
situation. Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on the
expectation of positive outcomes to every event and circumstances that
presents itself in daily life. The Christian is confident because of the
love and promises of God Almighty who is the Holy Ghost dwelling within to
comfort, teach, and lead them in our daily
life.
We believe and obey the Lord Jesus Christ walking in the newness of
life, knowing that all our sins are forgiven us. Therefore we have know
need to be offset, or misled by those who live according to the ways of
sin. We approach things with a smile, we see things with future eternal
peace even in the mist of war, we love people even in the mist of hate
because of the victory we can look forward to now and in the future.
Acts 13:38 - 41 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that
through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him
all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be
justified by the law of Moses. Beware therefore, lest that come upon you,
which is spoken of in the prophets; Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and
perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise
believe, though a man declare it unto you.
Through the Lord Jesus Christ everyone who believes in him,
acknowledges him as Savior and obeys his commandments is cleared and freed
from every charge from which he could not be justified and freed by the Law
of Moses and given a right standing with God. Every Christian true believer
is delivered from condemnation, the penalty of death and now can look on the
newness of life with good expectation and eternal hope.
Romans 5:19 - 21 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so
by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover the law
entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did
much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace
reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ
Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For all who are
led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
Romans 8:15 - 17 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to
fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba,
Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we
are the children of God:
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if
so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
And since we are the Children of God, we stand on his promises and look on
life's many situations knowing that it will work out in our favor…
"IT CAN BE DONE!" (part 1)
By Bishop S. McDowell Shelton
To all of the saints and well-wishers of the Church of the Lord Jesus
Christ of the Apostolic Faith, we say unto you —"Peace be upon Our House,
and praise the Lord !"
Philippians 4:13
states I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
We can, in no way, get around this
unassailable fact that, indeed, through Christ which strengtheneth us we can
do all things! Again, what can be done? All things, through Christ which
strengtheneth us! In the name of Jesus Christ, it can be done! Yes, it
can!
So, the next time you are feeling sorry
for yourself, or complaining that the pain is- too hard for you—remember
that it can be done! The
next time you are murmuring and complaining about the amount of money they
are asking for church renovations, or for the broadcast, or for this or the
other — remember it can be done!
The next time Satan whispers in your ear and tells you that you
cannot support your family and also pay all those tithes and offerings —
tell him it can be done! And when you are tempted sore, and the devil
makes sin so convenient — you will, nevertheless, be able to see a way of
escape and live holy. Why? Because it can be done!
So, you feel like life is too hard for you. You feel like life is too
painful, and you really do not have the energy to live anymore and to
continue your good fight. But we want you to face the rising sun in the
lowest hour of your despair and look to the hills from whence cometh your
help and say—it can be done!
You might feel that you cannot make this journey, but in the time of
discouragement, when backsliding is all around you, place your feet on the
holy place and say to the world that it can be done! It has to be done!
And in the time when there is so much unrest among the various peoples
of different nationality, and they say that it is impossible for different
ethnic groups to worship together in the same church and to walk together in
peace—we say that the mountain of the Lord's House shall be established in
the top of the mountain and all nations shall flow into it!
Isaiah 2:2 And
it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’s
house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted
above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
Let the race
riots come and let all of the neighborhood unrest come, but to the Church of
the Lord Jesus Christ we say that all nations shall flow unto it. It can be
done!
To the young man, the young woman, and the believing boy and girl—the
devil will come to you and try to tell you that you are too young for this
Apostolic Faith. He will tell you that you are abandoning a large portion
of your youth. He will try to make you worry about what people will say.
He will ask you—how will you go to school with that long dress on? He will
constantly plague you and ask — how will you get a job in the office with
that long dress? And to the young man he says—you cannot tell anybody about
your religion, because they will call you a sissy!
The devil will persist and say — you will be embarrassed, and you
will have to defend yourself fighting every day! But let us tell you one
thing, it is recorded in the scripture (and the scripture does not lie) that
not only is the promise for the adults, but also for the children!
The Bible states "For
the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar of,
even as many as the Lord our God shall call." (Acts 2:39)
Then, again, a second witness comes on speedy heels and says—"Remember.
now thy Creator in the days of thy youth…Ecclesiastes 12:1
And then the third witness cries out to be heard and says—"l
have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken,
nor his seed bread." (Psalm 37 :25)
And so, we say, as Paul told Timotheus, to flee youthful lusts. And
we say to the young man and to the maid, to the middle-aged and to the old
that—it can be done! Oh, yes, it can! "I can do all things", says Paul to
the Church at Philippi. "I
can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Philippians 4:13)
Jesus believed that "it can be done", and He indeed is our supreme
example. He had Mark record His words, in Mark
11:22-23 "And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have
faith in God. For verily I say unto you, that whosoever say this mountain,
be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his
heart but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass;
he shall have whatsoever he saith."
Jesus,
in effect, was
saying that all things are possible to him that believeth. The element
which makes Apostolic people superior (and we are superior) is of spiritual
content. We are spiritually superior to everyone! God has placed us on the
top of the mountain. We are His elect! We are those who have been divinely
chosen!
We have the advantage over everyone, even if that person is a
millionaire, or has as many degrees as the alphabet soup. When you do the
right thing, God will bless it and He will prosper you and He will bring you
out successfully. Where others have found the situation utterly impossible, when
you believe God, you know that—it can be done! Yes, it can! Whatever
it is, never sell yourself short! Never get yourself in the position to feel
that you cannot accomplish, that you cannot turn back the armies of the
aliens.
We
will continue with these messages in part 2……………….
With perfect
love,
Apostle Dennis G. Smith
The online
service Zoom link is sent out each Sunday at or before 2:00 pm to the Saints
registered email addresses. If you wish to worship with us, please send you
email address to: info@mininstersof Jesuschrist.com and we will
email you a link to join the service. We start the service after 2:00 pm.
You
are invited to attend and be a part of the Ministers of Jesus Christ Church
Services on Zoom at/or about 2:00pm. Which are also published on Facebook
through Holy Tabernacle, Ministers of Jesus Christ Apostolic Church, and
Ministers of Jesus Christ Church or Dennis Smith Facebook timeline. You
will need to download the zoom app to your cell phone, laptop computer, or
tablet to activate your connection. Go to Google Play Store to get your
free zoom app and install it on your cell phone, laptop computer or tablet.
When you see the zoom link sent to your email address, click or tap on the
link and to open the connection. Then click or tap on the camera and
microphone icon to join the service and select internet. We look forward to
seeing you and worshipping with you in the Lord! You may also give freewill
offerings through Givelify, Cash App, Visa, Master Card, American Express
Credit and Bank cards or PayPal. Use cash app link name
($MinistersofJesus935).
Currently the following groups are eligible for COVID vaccine in Georgia:
Everyone
age 12 and older. Note:
Pfizer is the only COVID vaccine currently approved for children aged 12 and
older. People younger than 18 years of age are not authorized to receive
either the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.
Present
Guidelines for Individual and Businesses in PHASE 4
· Limited
trips outside.
· Wearing
a face mask in some indoor public facilities is a mandate.
· Frequent
hand washing.
· Continue
to practice Social distancing.
· Increased
occupancy in food and retail establishments with social distancing and other
protective measures.
· Begin
phasing in non-essential workers return to on sight working with safety
precautions including social distancing and temperature checks.
· Frequent
cleaning of public and high touch areas
· Small
gatherings with social distancing
· Some
essential and non-essential City facilities and programs may begin to open.
· City
continues to accept special event applications subject to COVID safety
requirements
· Continue
communication with local and State authorities to monitor public health
metrics
Social
Distancing guidelines:
·
Social
distancing means staying away from close contact in public spaces. It
includes actions like staying out of places where lots of people gather and
maintaining distance — approximately 6 feet — from others.
·
Social
distancing also includes minimizing contact with people when possible,
limiting nonessential travel, working from home, and skipping social
gatherings.
·
All
people should practice social distancing — not just those who are seriously
ill or at high risk.
·
Social
distancing is a proven way to slow the spread of pandemics.
When to
Wear a Mask:
Those who are
staying home and have no close contact with people who are infected with
COIVID-19 do not need a mask most of the time. However, wearing a nonmedical
or homemade mask may be helpful in certain situations or for certain
populations. Wear a Mask when:
· Shopping
at essential businesses, like grocery stores or pharmacies.
·
While
visiting your health care provider.
·
Traveling
on public transportation.
·
Interacting
with customers/clients at essential businesses.
·
When
feeling sick, coughing, or sneezing.
·
In
all public spaces indoors and outdoors.
Because
homemade masks protect everyone else from the droplets created by the
wearer, it is important that as many people as possible wear these masks
when leaving their homes. This helps prevent those who may be infectious but
are only mildly symptomatic or not symptomatic from spreading the virus to
others in the community.
Everyone
should remember the phrase: “My mask protects you; your mask protects me.”
By increasing the overall number of people who are containing their coughs,
sneezes, and other droplets, it will help us control the overall spread of
the virus.