Ministers of Jesus Christ Church

Date: December 19, 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.

We are continuing limited indoor, in-person services with face mask, social distancing, temperature checks and Covid-19 testing. 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:

info@ministersofjesuschrist.com or prayerrequest@ministersofjesuschrist.com.

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:

A Commitment and Choice for Salvation (part 2)

By Apostle Dennis G. Smith

Most people who believe in the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will come to realize that God devised and implemented his plan of salvation because he loves them and regards human beings as his offspring because he created us in his image and gives us the opportunity to become his children by faith.

We must all recognized that we sinned in our lives. We committed acts by our own decisions and choices in our conduct, thoughts and actions that are against the righteousness and holiness of God. Sinful behavior has been done and will be done by all mankind because all hath sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Therefore no person could do anything of their own merit to earn themselves salvation from the penalty of their own sinful behavior. Therefore God himself offered deliverance and redemption freely based on his own grace or favor toward all mankind.

Romans 3:23 - 26 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

While we continued the path and practice of our sinful ways, we are free from righteousness and doomed to receive the punishment associated with sin, for the wages of sin is death or eternal separation from a Holy and Righteous God who is the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We can see this in the natural order or study of heavenly bodies. The study of heavenly bodies in the outer space of Heaven is called Astronomy meaning the science that studies the laws of the stars known as a natural science that studies celestial or heavenly objects and phenomena. The bible teaches us that there are celestial or heavenly bodies and there are terrestrial or earthly bodies that include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, galaxies, comets etc..

1Corinthians 15:40 - 41 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.

We can learn and prove from the study of heavenly bodies that the ending of the life cycle of some heavenly bodies is to be destroyed by fire. This gives us proof of what will happen to all those who remain on the surface of planet Earth or other heavenly bodies whose end is to be destroyed by fire. We can also learn from the study of heavenly bodies, that there are other celestial bodies that will continue to exist forever according to the plan of God the eternal creator. This gives us a tangible example that we must function according to the plan of God.

We should now completely understand that when we function in sinful ways the plan of God concludes such behavior in eternal separation from God in the lake of fire. But when we are made free from sin by faith in the payment that God has planned for our redemption of sin if we turn from our sinful ways, we will receive eternal life. Understanding these provable facts makes us to see the choice and commitment for salvation.

Romans 6:20 - 23 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

When we examine redemption, salvation is the saving of the soul from sin and its consequences. It may also be called deliverance or redemption from sin and its effects by the unmerited and unearned grace of God through faith in the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and continuing in good works. Let me continue to press upon the mind of all mankind that the penalty of sinful way, is spiritual death: spiritual separation from God and eternal punishment in hell.

Some people do not believe in personal salvation as Christians believe, rather they may focus on individual morality as enforced by the civil laws in the country or state in which they live or according to the Moral law given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai. To some people salvation is saving from the situations or circumstances that destroy the value of human existence only in the terrestrial or earthly life. When they focus on natural existence only, they may not recognized the afterlife existence when the natural body life cycle come the an end.

God is the one and only universal spirit and Creator of the World, is the source of all salvation for humanity, provided an individual honors God by observing his precepts. This statement is common among most of those who believe that redemption or salvation depends on the individual action in response to the plan of salvation from God. Since there is no one else that can offer salvation other than God himself, we should now clearly see the commitment needed in obeying the plan of God.

God has offers salvation to all people both Jews and Gentiles which means that all people must believe in the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and all people must overcome sinful ways and learn to observe and practice righteous and holy patterns of behavior as summarized in the commandments of Jesus Christ.

We as Apostolic Christians believe that the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ reveals the divine plan of salvation for all mankind. This plan was conceived by God before the creation of the world, achieved at the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, leading up to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

For Apostolic Christians, salvation is only possible through Jesus Christ. The death of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross was the once-for-all sacrifice that atoned for the sin of all believers. Salvation is only made possible by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, as the Son of God, dying on the cross. Just like the definition of life is a process, also salvation is a process that begins when a person first makes a choice to become a Christian believer and follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, continues throughout the believing person's life as they grow in grace and is completed when they stand before the judgment seat of Christ for rewards.

Christians believe that salvation depends on the grace of God through faith and obedience to the commandments of Jesus Christ. The plan of salvation is God's plan to save, redeem, and exalt all humankind who chose the grace of Jesus Christ by exercising faith in Him, repenting of their sins, and obeying his commandments.

Most people who believe that God exist also believe that people who die that are not believers in the one and only God do not receive salvation. Those who die believing and obeying the one and only God and His message is believed to receive salvation. The issue is the obedience to the word of God that is missing among many people which once again emphasizes the Choice or commitment to the things that will bring eternal salvation.

Notice that the dying of the natural body is not viewed as the lost of salvation but the things that occur in the afterlife determines a person’s final state based on whether or not they believed in God and obeyed his commandments.

Most people also understand that repentance refers to simple statements that indicate that in order to gain salvation, one must learn to overcome sinful ways or avoid sinning along with performing good deeds and seek God's forgiveness for all acts of sin and repent which is dependent on the Mercy of God. However, this repentance must not be used to sin or to continue to practice sinful ways because a person has learned of the mercy of God almighty in an attempt to obtain salvation through pretense and hypocrisy, but the person must be sincerely sorrow for the sins that they have committed and make every attempt to stop the practice of sinful ways.

God will forgive anyone who repents of their evil conduct if they are sincere in their choice and intention to live a holy life. Those who continue to do evil, until they are faced with a situation that will cause them to lose their natural life may be looked upon according to the intent of their heart. Those who die rejecting faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are eternally lost. Sin to most people is a choice or commitment to continue to do wrongful actions, bad behavior or bad conduct. From this general understanding most people we can see the choice or commitment for salvation can be understood by all mankind.

We continue with a Message from Apostle S. McDowell Shelton … "Commit Thy Way Unto The Lord"

Commit Thy Way Unto The Lord (part 2)

By Bishop S. McDowell Shelton

A saved woman must commit herself to wearing a long dress in a modem society where miniskirts are the fashion. She must commit herself to that long dress. She must obligate herself. In wearing this long dress, she is speaking out against the public's nakedness and against the trend of the times.

Saints should refuse to buy raffle tickets on their jobs when they have raffle tickets up for a new car. They should say, "No, I do not approve of obtaining things in this manner the Bible says, "... the just shall live by his faith." (Habakkuk 2:4)

The reason why people do not commit themselves is because they are afraid, they cannot hold out. They commit themselves today and two years from now they will go and look for that man who was selling raffle tickets. They are too weak.

When you repent and come into the Whole Truth of God's Word, you commit yourself to refrain from gambling; you are going to pray now. Until God blesses you and give you an increase, you are going to suffer. You commit yourself that you are not going to be seen walking down the street so intoxicated until you error in your vision and stumble in your judgment.

When you see someone going back into the things which they have done previously, they have gone back on their commitment. Their commitment didn't mean much. When you commit yourself to "tithes," do you think that it is going to be easy to keep that commitment when your bills come in and all your obligations pile against you? You are going to have to fight to maintain your commitment. That's why your commitment must be sure. It must be sound. It must be done in a spirit of reality. It cannot be just a verbal commitment, but you must commit your ways. You must commit your total person.

To be Apostolic, you must be totally committed to the Apostolic way of life. You must be committed to that part which is not so attractive to you as well as to that part that gives you joy.

Apostolic commitment involves blessing your food before you eat it. Some don't even have that much commitment. Then they wonder why they have so much and gas. Ask God to bless your food. And really, just blessing it before you eat is not enough. You should give thanks afterwards, also. You see, when you start off, you are asking God to bless and sanctify it. After you finish (this does not mean you have to go through a formal ritual) but whether it be audible or whether it be within yourself (you should give thanks!)

You know, folks pray, "We thank you for what we are about to receive." All right, you haven't received it yet. After you have received it, couldn't you thank the Lord for what you have received? Many people begin to eat dinner and never live to finish the meal.

When you commit yourself, you will be thought of as a religious fanatic or as being self-righteous or an extremist. Oh yes, you will! Most people are just too weak to commit themselves. They will set certain rules for their home; time and situations will break down all these commitments.

When they first get saved, they commit themselves to coming to prayer before every service; they soon lose that commitment. They commit themselves to fasting every fast day; they lose that commitment. They commit themselves not to use profanity. Then somebody makes them warm, and they lose that commitment. They commit themselves to “tell the truth at all times.” They get in a jam and tell the biggest, hot lie; they lose that commitment. Until afterwhile, they find they have lost e-v-e-r-y commitment! All they have left is the fact that at one time in their life, they were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, and did speak in tongues. Aside from that, they have no other commitment. They have nothing to which they are willing to cast all their possessions.

Some people are so weak until they don't have enough commitment to say, "Praise the Lord" or "Peace be unto you." They will say "Hi." Hi, what? If you meet someone without a commitment, out in public they surely will not have any.

You see, testifying about a thing is not being committed to it. Commitment to "divine healing" means you have committed yourself to the healing of God through the Spirit, and if He does not heal you, then…Those folks who went into the fiery furnace had a commitment. They knew that their God was able to deliver; but if He didn't deliver them, they were already committed.

Some people say, "I do." It's throughout the total generation. People get married: Do you think they have any commitments toward their marriage? Folks used to have at least one year when they would be on what they called their "honeymoon." They would still be in love and say nice things: but particularly this younger generation, they aren't committed while they are saying "I do." Rarely do you find two who are really committed. They get married and they never disassociate themselves from their other friends. They use the name boyfriend or girlfriend. They will go and see the other boyfriend or girlfriend the night before the marriage. The boyfriend or girlfriend will sit right up there and look at them getting married. And the next day, they will be right back seeing them again. They have no commitments.

If you find someone who's committed, you better thank God. It means a whole lot to stay committed to one person for twenty, thirty, forty years. Whenever you see someone committed for that long period of time, they have had a lot of reservations. They had a lot of conversation inside themselves and outside themselves as to whether they could continue in this commitment.

The generations that are here now—they love children—they love everybody, so they say, beatniks, the most of them. It is so much easier to say, "I love everybody" because that doesn't include one person. It's much more difficult to love somebody or something. Did you know that? yet in addition to that, you must love somebody or something. Did you know that?

Folks standing up saying, "I love everybody in my heart." You do! May I have the name of Mr. Everybody or Miss Everybody? It is good to love everybody; yet in addition to that, you must love somebody or something. This does not mean a sensual kind of love, but a commitment. Someone may say, "Where is that in the Bible?" The Bible says, "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment." (Mark 12:30) Committed to one thing.

People are afraid that if they commit themselves to one husband or to one wife, they will not be able to hold out. It is a strenuous thing to face the same person every day, every night in their changes of beauty and ugliness, of kindness and of anger of jealousies, of fatness, of thinness, of youth, of old age, of gray hair of no hair and still be committed.

"Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass." (Psalms 37:5)

Are you committed today to the fact that there is nothing else right except water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ. ARE YOU REALLY COMMITED? Think it over. Think of the commitments that you made in the earlier days of your salvation and think of how many of these things to which you are still committed. Please read the following scriptures below: 1st Timothy 1:12; Psalm 31:5; Psalms 37:5; 2nd Corinthians 5:19; 1st Timothy 6:12; 2^nd Timothy 2:2.

1Timothy 1:12 - 13 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

Psalms 31:05 Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.

Psalms 37:05 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

2Corinthians 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

1Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

2Timothy 2:02 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

Now, may the Lord bless you and preserve your strength in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is God Almighty, Amen.

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

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 zoom 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 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 5 and older. Note: Pfizer is the only COVID vaccine currently approved for children aged 5 and older. People younger than 18 years of age are not authorized to receive either the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.

ONGOING GUIDANCE for Red Zone

• Vaccination remains the most effective protection against COVID-19

• Practice social distancing

• Frequently wash hands

• Frequent cleaning of public and high touch areas

• Practice telework and staggered office schedules where feasible, with safety measures

• Non-essential City facilities may open to the public. Masking will be mandated for now and the number of persons indoors may be limited to avoid crowding

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.