Ministers of Jesus Christ
Assemblies of The Apostolic Faith
Atlanta, Georgia - USA
Apostle Dennis G. Smith, Pastor and Spiritual Overseer
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Ministers of Jesus Christ Assemblies of The Apostolic Faith Atlanta, Georgia - USA Apostle Dennis G. Smith, Pastor and Spiritual Overseer |
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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 and use social distancing, wash your hands, and get tested
with or without symptoms. In
some places wearing face mask is mandatory in all indoor and outdoor public
spaces.
Health
authorities are indicating that the covid-19 infection data for the City of
Atlanta, Georgia is not
favorable at
this present time, therefore the in-person services will
remained on hold until
further notice. Our city is requesting people
to stay -at-home or shelter-in-place at their homes and only leave for essential
tasks.
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:
The renewing of your mind part III
Colossians 3:5 - 15 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth;
fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and
covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God
cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some
time, when ye lived in them. But
now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy
communication out of your mouth.
Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of
him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision
nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and
in all. Put on therefore, as the
elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness,
humbleness of mind,
meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one
another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so
also do ye. And above all these
things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are
called in one body; and be ye thankful.
When we overview
this scripture, we can come to the fullness of understanding that many changes
in our thought process and the resulting actions, conduct, attitude, or behavior
is under our own personal control through the empowerment of the indwelling Holy
Ghost. Also, when we are sorrow or
regret doing unrighteous and sinful things we see the need to change our ways,
change our directions to receive a prosperous improved outcome.
We can see the flesh mind and the spiritual mind, we can see the worldly
mind and the Godly mind, we can see the old man who has a sinful, fleshly,
worldly mind and the new man who has a Godly, holy, righteous spiritual mind.
We can discern the results and outcome of a situation if we recognize who
we are dealing with a worldly or a Godly mind. We
know that they who are a friend of the world is an enemy of God.
James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the
world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is
the enemy of God.
Perhaps one of
the most difficult questions is how to live peaceably with all men?
Learning to let the peace of God rule in your hearts when people around
you are challenging you constantly with lying tongues, disobedience to simple
instructions that bring upon you trouble not because of your actions but because
of their evil ways. Learning to
suffer the wrongs done to you rather than do wrong is the renewing of your mind.
Growing to a point where you can control outburst of anger and not
respond, retaliate, or seek revenge in the mist of the hurts and pains you feel
is the renewing of your mind. Growing to the point where you have an excellent
spirit or mind. Take the Prophet
Daniel for an example who was a president in the Media Persian Kingdom who
excelled all the other presidents.
And the other presidents responded in jealousy and conspired to destroy Daniel.
Daniel 6:3 - 9 Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes,
because an excellent
spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.
Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel
concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch
as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.
Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel,
except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.
Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and
said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever.
All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the
counsellers, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal
statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any
God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den
of lions. Now, O king, establish
the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law
of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.
Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.
When people turn against you for no other reason than their own evil desires,
these are the times when the renewed mind, the Godly mind has to be ready for
the pain, the suffering the persecution or death of the body to come.
The tears you will endure can come from those of your own house or the
most respected co-workers and colleagues on your job, in school, or even
struggling weak people at the Church building.
And you must set yourself to walk with God, to stay faithful and obedient
to his word, to live a righteous and holy life regardless of the outcome.
So, the Prophet Daniel continued his praying to God in defiance of the
orders of the King knowing the proposed outcome.
Daniel 6:10 - 14 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into
his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he
kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his
God, as he did aforetime. Then
these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his
God. Then they came near, and spake
before the king concerning the king’s decree; Hast thou not signed a decree,
that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days,
save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and
said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which
altereth not. Then answered they
and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity
of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but
maketh his petition three times a day.
Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with
himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured till the
going down of the sun to deliver him.
When the king realized that he had been set up by the evil ways of the other
presidents, he began to seek a way to save the life of Daniel but could not
change the Media Persian decree. As
a result, he now has to rely on salvation for Daniel from the God of Daniel’s
prayers.
Daniel 6:15 - 24 Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king,
Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor
statute which the king establisheth may be changed.
Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the
den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest
continually, he will deliver thee.
And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed
it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might
not be changed concerning Daniel.
Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were
instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him.
Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the
den of lions. And when he came to
the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and
said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou
servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? Then said Daniel
unto the king, O king, live forever.
My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they
have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also,
before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.
Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should
take Daniel up out of the den. So, Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no
manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.
And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused
Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and
their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in
pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den.
From this we can see that the Lord will reward all men eventually according to
their mind set and works. The Godly
man will be saved by God himself according to his own perfect will.
We continue with the message from Apostle Shelton………………
The Christ Mind………...
'THE CHRIST MIND" (part 3)
By Bishop S. McDowell Shelton
If you can just
get the Christ mind you will be so victorious. People will not be able to bounce
you to and fro anymore, because people will no longer be of such great
importance to you. You will learn how to lay aside. The behavior of people—what
they do or say—will no longer affect you or cause you so much unhappiness and
pain. You will learn how to be in this world and not of it. You will learn how
to go through this world and avoid contact with people who do not have the
Christ mind. In other words, you can be in the same room with them, but you can
be so absorbed in the Spirit until you will not even notice them. Your heart can
be indicting such a good matter until you are not even aware of who is sitting
next to you on the bus when you are coming home from work.
Open your mind
for wholesome things, for business and your job, but as soon as you receive your
instructions—close it off again from the world.
Learn how to just pull down a curtain in your mind and shut the doors of
your heart. Let people of this
world just not exist. You become hidden in Him, which is surely possible.
This is the keeping force: when God comes and keeps you in this world.
When you are completely buried, when you are completely immersed and have
that baptism wherein, He was baptized, it is no longer you but Christ.
The man they use to know just does not exist anymore.
The woman they use to know is no more.
But you are a new creature who has a different mind, a different
mentality. This new creature is
seeking a better resurrection. This
new creature, who is journeying on, does not have time to stop and explore the
temptations of this world, because they are pressing towards that mark. You
cannot get the Christ mind sitting in front of a television set because it fills
your mind with too much artificiality.
You will only get the mind of Madison Avenue.
You will never find it by constantly listening to the radio, with its
beats and bangs and bumps and grinds, and none of these notes are for the glory
and honor of God. We only tolerate
music when this music is for praise; and when we listen to it we do not listen
to it with our natural ear. But
when it is being done for the glory of God, then we become that sound; we
immerse our self into this praise. We become one of the instruments of praise.
We become that
psalm, that song, that high praise of God.
We project our self into the hallelujah, but when. that is over we are
not interested in any other kind of music other than music which is for the
glory and honor of God. You will
not find it in carnal dance, because dance in its originality was an exercise of
praise. It was connected with
devotion. It was later
introduced into the ballroom and into sensuality, but its original function was
for praise. And when we dance
for the praise of God, we become dance.
We do not realize anything else which is going on, but this one function.
We dance the dance of praise. We do not have to worry about what is the
next step; we do not have to worry about if we are doing it right. We go into
the spirit of the dance and he directs us therein.
To do this dance we do not need a partner. We become dance.
When we are
preaching The Word, nothing else exists outside in the world for us; it is
already gone. We just lay it aside.
If it was in the past, it is surely already gone.
If it is coming in the future, then it is not yet.
The only thing that exists for us when we are bringing forth The Word is
Word. And because it is Word,
we emerge our self into Word and become one with Word. The Word becomes flesh
and speaks out, as it comes into our Christ mind. We let it use our mouth and it
becomes, within our mouth, a fire, and a hammer.
It begins breaking the rocks into pieces. We let it become in our mouth a
two-edge sword. We do not know what
the next word will be, for we have submitted our self to Word, and Word and our
self are one. We are used by Word;
we are the servant of Word—we are speaking Word. Whatever Word wants us to say,
we say. We ARE Word.
Yes, we are the offspring of the Word, for we are the offspring of God.
We are that Son of the Word. We listen and we speak, and if it. comes and
cuts both ways —if we are wounded—we suffer that.
But we know that it is good for us, In all things give thanks for this is
the will of God concerning you. Let
this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.
"Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to
me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.
Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision."
(Philippians 3:1-2)
We are not
talking about regular dogs, but about people with a kind of spirit like dogs.
Like beasts, they will tear you apart.
And some dogs, after you feed them, they rise up to kill their master.
After you do good to them good, they rise up to destroy you.
Beware of dark places, for they will leap upon you and gnash you to
pieces. Again, "Beware of dogs."
Dogs are those that are without; and those who are without are your enemy.
You might think they are your friends, but the carnal mind is enmity.
How can two walk together except they be
agreed? We do not care how nice,
how friendly, or how kind someone might be who is not of your most Holy
Apostolic Faith. They are your
enemy. And as we were telling
you—when you go to your classes and study in your universities, study and become
the most prodigious student; you become the most erudite student.
Develop your mind, develop yourself in the cunning ways of the dogs—your
enemy. Because you must operate and
motivate and manage yourself in his environment for a little while during your
lifetime—you must be one step ahead of him.
Be confident in knowing you have a deeper wisdom; you have a light.
He has no light, for he sits in darkness.
You have a perfect truth that you can bring to every situation. You come
to every situation the victor. You come to every situation ahead of the game.
Oh yes, you are the winner and win every time.
Learn how to use
your Christ mind; let it control your mouth and do not always run it.
Keep it closed and hear; keep it closed and see. Be prepared; know and
say nothing. Wait patiently and
have patience until your time comes.
And when your time comes, have all your information, have all your
strategy and secret weapons ready, and then launch forward to take the victory
"Beware of evil workers; beware of concision." Concision is something that cuts
up or into. There is someone right
now who wants to separate you from your wife or your husband, from your good
friend or someone that is close to you.
Because of their corrupt evil mind, they do not want to see you happy;
they want to see you in misery. And
when they see you rejoicing or happy with someone, they will sit and wait for an
opportunity to a poison dart to destroy your confidence with that other
individual.
Concision! The
devil is constantly a worker of concision.
He would like to destroy the Church and cut it up into small pieces and
scatter it. Beware of concision,
for we are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit.
Yes, we do. We rejoice in
Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh.
Philippians 3:1-3 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same
things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. Beware of
dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice
in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
Let this mind be
in you which was also in Christ Jesus.
If there be any consolation in Christ (and there is); if there be any
comfort of love (and there is great comfort), we do not care who you are—when
you have the Christ mind, when you have been baptized and have the Holy Ghost,
somebody loves you! Yes, they do.
We love you very much. We may not
be able to come to you individually and say so; we may not be able to always
express it personally, but we have a love for everyone who has the Christ mind.
God has a love for you, when you have renewed your mind and have taken
His mind and have taken His cross.
"If there' be any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any comfort
of the spirit, if any bowels and mercies fulfill my joy that ye be like minded'
having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind". (Philippians 2:10)
We were of one
mind during this National Youth Conference, for many spoke in other tongues as
the Spirit gave them utterance.
Faith comes by hearing. We spoke
faith into them as they lay prostrated before the Lord.
We spoke hope into them. We
spoke Word in them until they caught faith and ignited it, and the Holy Ghost
began to work before a great cloud of witnesses.
"Let nothing be done through strife or
vain glory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than
themselves. (Philippians 2:3)
Do not be so
high minded with your own self-esteem.
Anyone —even those of the world who are so high minded—people just wait
for them to make one mistake and everybody pounces on them.
They surround you like greedy wolves reads to devour, when you set
yourself on such a pedestal. There is some bully waiting to knock you down, so
keep your mind clear and think not more highly of yourself than you ought.
"Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things
of others." Do not be so selfish! Do not always be considering what you want to
do, where you want to go. We cannot remember when we have really done what we
wanted to do. And when we finally
got the chance to do it, it was not when we wanted to do it.
By that time, the appetite for it had vanished.
Perhaps, someone might say—my, aren't you miserable? We are the happiest
man we know. Sick or well, joy or pain, there is a quiet, still happiness within
our mind and our heart, because we know we have the Christ mind! We know that it
is going to be alright! We know
that we are going to win! We know that we are going to achieve! We know that it
is going to be victorious! We know that we can only be successful! We know that
we are moving on and upward! It
seems far, but we know we are going to get there.
It seems almost impossible, but we will surely make it.
We believe it and we know it.
Let the skin
worms destroy our body, but yet in our flesh will we see God.
Do not tell us—suppose famine comes.
We have been young and now we are old, but we have never seen the
righteous forsaken nor His seed begging bread.
No longer is meat and drink important to us.
No longer is it important what we put on, or what we have to eat; but
what is important to us, first, is that we renew this Christ mind.
When we wake up in the morning, and things are kind of foggy, we shall be
still and know that He is God. Let
us feel that "inner man" flowing from our head to our feet, and from our feet
back up to our head. Let us feel
that well of living
water bubbling up in us.
Let us feel that life, that living bread, that living water inside us—refreshing
us and making us whole. Let us feel
that inner strength, let us feel that power that we have received after the Holy
Ghost has come upon us. Let us feel that newness of life.
We are not overly concerned with what we have in our pocket; we are not
overly concerned with the kind of bed in which we sleep, but what we are
concerned is the moving of that tide.
When the Young People's Ushers tells you to move, you should do it. We know they
are much younger than you, but you must suffer that.
You must have the Christ mind.
While in Kingston, N. C. when we first became Bishop, the
sergeant-at-arms was coming towards the front, telling everybody to clear the
aisle. And we mean he did not say
it nicely. We do not know where he
was from. Someone had stopped us as
they usually do. He evidently did
not know us, for he touched us on our shoulder and said "Clear the aisle and go
in prayer!" Very politely we said
to the people to whom we were speaking "Excuse me, please and we went in prayer.
He looked at us as we were walking, and we kept walking until we got up
to the pulpit. We got on the pulpit
and went in prayer. And when
we got up out of prayer he was like the men of Galilee—he was standing there
gazing! But we never said to him—do
you know who you are talking to?
Obviously, he did not know to whom he was talking.
Did not Jesus
pray the prayer—"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do"?
If you do not. show any respect for
the law and the operation thereof, you will never be able to tell -them
anything. No matter what they are
doing, they will always remember that they asked you to move or to take a seat
and you did not let the- Christ mind operate.
The best thing to do is to just move.
And then we will come and settle things one with another, telling the
ushers thus and thus. That is the
right way to do. Right is Right.
If one of your group leaders tells you to do something—do that.
Do not say that I am not going to let this child tell me what to do.
The Scripture says that the older shall submit' themselves to the
younger. This is their conference.
This conference belongs to them.
You must submit yourself to the of the conference.
Even we, who are Bishop and Father, do not break any of the rules.
Our thought for this National Youth Conference has been—Let
this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 2 :5)
We have learned to function daily with the one spirit, the Christ mind that
makes us all a part of the Body of Christ and give us continuous deliverance and
victory. When we set ourselves toward
Godliness, we can feel the moving of the spirit and the renewing of our mind
examining the moments of our life.
Ephesians 2:11 - 19 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in
the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the
Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without
Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the
covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
But now in Christ Jesus
ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the
middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the
enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in
himself of twain one new
man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in
one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and
preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
For through him we both have access by
one Spirit unto the Father. Now
therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the
saints, and of the household of God.
The renewed mind, the Christ mind, the humble obedient mind that makes itself of
no reputation, that considers the plight of others and works for the good of all
mankind is what we strive for everyday of our life.
May the Lord Bless you and Keep you and eternally hold you in the center of his
will, may he open your understanding that you will come to know that you must
repent of your sins and be baptized by immersion in water in the Name of Jesus
Christ for the remission of your sins, then continue in prayer, tarrying until
you receive the gift of the Holy Ghost with the sign following speaking with
other tongues as the spirit gives you utterances. Then you must leave the
principles of the doctrine and go on to perfection overcoming the love of the
world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life and
continue steadfastly in the Apostle’s Doctrine remembering always that he that
endures until the End, the same shall be saved. In the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ who is God Almighty. Amen
With perfect love,
Apostle Dennis G. Smith
·
New
outbreaks of the coronavirus are surging through churches across the country
where in-person services have resumed.
The virus has infiltrated Sunday sermons, meetings of ministers and
Christian youth camps. It has struck
churches that reopened cautiously with face masks and social distancing in
the pews, as well as some that defied lockdowns and refused to heed new
limits on the numbers of worshipers.
Pastors and their families have tested positive, as have church
ushers, front-door greeters, and hundreds of churchgoers.
·
Although some governors have issued a statewide order mandating masks, many
people attending Church services are not obeying.
This is reported to be true at many Churches in America: If they are
told they have to wear a mask, they will stay home.
·
Any indoor activities, such as in-person
worship services, pose a particularly high risk for coronavirus transmission
even with masks, especially when they include singing is the latest reports by
some health authorities. While
coughing or sneezing can spread larger respiratory droplets, singing, and
talking release smaller infectious particles that can hang in the air and
circulate in enclosed spaces.
·
The circumstances of having groups of people together without masks and singing
without mask is a setup that is called a superspreading event.
Present Guidelines for Individuals and Businesses in Phase 1:
Social Distancing guidelines:
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:
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.