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
to help stop the spread of the Covid-19 virus. In
some places wearing face mask is mandatory in all indoor and outdoor public
spaces.
As of January 7, 2021, the City of Atlanta, Georgia remains in Phase I of the Reopening Plan due to the increasing spread of the coronavirus. Throughout the State of Georgia businesses must continue to operate with social distancing and sanitation rules to keep customers and employees safe. Covid-19 vaccinations are available and distributed under phase 1 A plan in Georgia.
We are
continuing online service through Zoom, Facebook, and YouTube. Baptism and
prayer service are available using social distancing and personal protective
equipment.
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:
Be ye Holy, for I Am Holy
By Apostle Dennis G. Smith
1Peter 1:14 - 17 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to
the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is
holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be
ye holy; for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father,
who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the
time of your sojourning here in fear:
The word holy describes someone, or in some cases some places, and events or things set apart which are devoted to the obedience, love, praise, and worship of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who is God Almighty and therefore worthy of honor and respect. When speaking of an object we generally refer to holy objects, places, or things used for the worship of God as sacred. When speaking of people, we are speaking of their conduct, deeds, works, or actions. When speaking of God, we are speaking of his inherent essential character.
Holiness originates in God and is communicated to things, places, times, and
persons engaged in His Service. The sincere words of prayer of the
precious woman Hannah should open your understanding... 1Samuel
2:2 - 3 There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither
is there any rock like our God. Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not
arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him
actions are weighed.
God therefore rightly sets the standard of what is holy. Holiness is defined by some as the high moral standards or virtue by which a man's mind applies itself and all its acts to the unquestioning love and obedience of God Almighty. The high moral standards called virtue in religion, is religious duty in the performing of your reasonable due service to God in the things which pertain to the Divine service. Individual or personal holiness is the moral standard by which a person dedicates all of their actions and conduct in obedience and devotion to God.
1John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the
beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that he might
destroy the works of the devil.
The simple meaning of the word holy for most of us is to
overcome all sin, live a life without sin in our dedication to God to achieve
complete mental and physical health, happiness, and completeness though the
indwelling Spirit of God. This means to be whole,
which describes the state of being in achieving happiness, sound mind, healthy
body, righteous speech, and conduct growing to a purified complete person. To
be holy refers to the state of being set apart from defilement. A
holy thing or object is separated from common use. A holy place is
devoted to the service of God. A holy person separates themselves
from sin and defilement striving to be morally clean and pure.
Galatians 5:22-
24 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith, Galatians 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no
law. Galatians 5:24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the
affections and lusts.
To live a holy lifestyle, we must make a difference between
the sinful lustful things of the world and the righteous, healthy, and wholesome
things of God. We must be able to discern between good and evil, truthfulness
and falseness which we refer to as lifting up a standard. In
lifting up a standard we must assure that it is according to the word of God and
not solely based on the culture in which we live.
Ezekiel 44:23 And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and
profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.
Once men fail to understand the true meaning of holiness,
then all the fights start from the lust within. I have seen and
continue to see mankind fighting over influence, power, money, fame, recognition
because of their own inward desires. You will see these wars among
all people no matter where they are when they do not lift up the standard of “be
ye holy”. Marriages will fall apart, homes will be torn
apart, Church organizations will have multiple conflicts, kings and governments
will proceed to physical, devastating warfare all because they will not lift up
a holy standard.
Without a Holy Standard man will set themselves up as ruling
with absolute power which usually leads to corruption and dishonesty. This
is the reason why the Bible is our measuring rod from which we write our bylaws,
rules, and articles of faith which govern our Church organizations because men
even those who say they are called by God, will measure themselves by their own
mindset, selfish ambition and lie to the Saints of God and people throughout the
world saying that their own thoughts and desires is the will of God.
People have sometimes been critical of me because I refuse to
participate in the disputes of unreasonable men. It is a simple
reason why I have personally avoided such disputes because I am determined to
lift up a holy standard. There is no need to dispute over what is
already written in the word of God. You
must believe the Word of God and obey the Word of God or burn in the eternal
lake of fire. This is so simple that no man will truly
error from this statement of truth. All people know this, even
small children when they are old enough and their understanding of language
communication and awareness becomes opened, they know this truth and it sets
them free.
It is a nice thing when Church organization are formed to
promote the Kingdom of God in honesty and truth. For these Church
organizations to function in righteousness they must organize under agreements
which meet the teaching of the Scriptures otherwise the selfishness of men and
the wiles of the devil will creep in. Nevertheless, the Saints of
God will always be victorious because the gates of hell will not prevail against
the true Saints of God, the one and only body of Christ, the true Church of the
Lord Jesus Christ. You may have to repurchase or build new places
of worship, but the Saints or people of God will always remain steadfast in the
word of God and no one will ever take us out of his hand because we have built
our hope on things eternal and we are a Kingdom of Royal Priest who will always
do the service of God.
Exodus 19:06 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.
These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
In understanding the purpose and will of God, your eyes should
now be opened, your discernment should now be complete, and it should now reveal
who you really are and the purpose of God for your life. When you
chose to be holy, you really are a peculiar people created to be a holy nation. It
make no difference whether you are rich or poor. It makes no
difference if you are educated or uneducated. God created you for
his glory and no one can ever take that away from you. In this,
all people are special in their own right because they are the offspring of God
almighty. And they all have the right to commit to the
righteousness of God, live a holy lifestyle, and live eternally with God
almighty. You can rest in peace now, because you know that it is
alright now, and that all is well that ends well. You can now
fulfill your purpose with joy because it makes no difference to what manner, or
what condition you find yourself in, God is for you. And if God is
for you, he is more than everyone in the world who have ever caused you harm or
pain.
1Peter 2:9 - 12 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy
nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath
called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in
time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not
obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Dearly beloved, I
beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war
against the soul; Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that,
whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which
they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Now go about your daily life in peace proving what is the will
of God by living a holy lifestyle. Be a great witness for God and
an encouragement to many people in the world in leading them to our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ who is the one and only God Almighty. Approach
all men with compassion not looking on their outward appearance in first view or
you will never be able to truly reach them. You now know that you
are great in the eyes of God even if no one else sees you. You are
loved by God even if it seems that everyone in your school, neighborhood, city,
state, or country hates you. You can overcome racial, ethnic,
social, or religious hatred because of the love of God almighty. Operate
in purity of mind and thought by focusing of the Lord Jesus Christ.
ROM12:01 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your
reasonable service. ROM12:02 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good,
and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
People have to learn and grow in the knowledge of God. We
all have to be transformed by the Holy Ghost in the renewing of our mind. You
know that holiness is more than outward expressions of holiness relative to
dress, hair, and appearance. The woman of a pure heart must learn
to dress reflecting her purity within in a world surrounded by the promotion of
whoredom and immodest females.
Holiness is more than distinction in male and female
appearance as indicated by some rules written by some as short hair on men, long
hair on women, and prohibitions against immodest shorts that reveal bodily
nakedness, male pants on women, excessive make-up, and jewelry. While
distinction and modesty is a part of the outward reflection of the inward heart,
Holy people must have the ability to discern between the issues of righteousness
and unrighteousness by the indwelling Spirit of God. Whereas
written rules can be good guidelines, they should not be used to promote
legalism as a method of salvation or condemnation. In other words,
they should never be used to condemn other people as a requirement before they
come into the Church even if this was done in the past. In
simplicity we do not get right before we come to Church, but we come to Church
in order to get right. This occurs after we come to Church and are
baptized and receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost.
We should grow and learn how to be longsuffering until others
increase in their understanding and surrendering to the Spirit of Jesus Christ
and teach them to overcome all unrighteousness in inward thoughts and outward
appearance. Statements about places of worldly amusement, mixed
swimming, smoking, television, radio, and other forms of media should be made or
received only as warnings of the sinful things that can be promoted by them as
in any other part of life and not as legalism or religious laws used to separate
and deny people fellowship with the Saints of God. This is one of
the most hidden tricks of the devil to use standards for division and turmoil so
that the people are always focused on the outward appearance rather than the
inward experience. Even though outward appearance can reflect what
is in the heart, it is usually based on the way the viewer understands the
outward appearance. To some, the wearing of some garments that one
sees as evil is what another sees as righteousness. This is why we
must see that the fruit of the Spirit is Love.
Holiness is more than sacred places as is put forth by some
nationalities. We must come to a full and complete understanding that God
does not dwell in places made by the hands of men. We can building other
places and dedicate them to the service of God, but we must never worship a
building or place. It is the indwelling of the Holy Ghost which leads us to be
set apart for the worship and service of God, for righteousness toward all
mankind, and for righteousness toward all other things for all unrighteousness
is sin.
Holiness is dedication to God in all manner of conversation or lifestyle and not
looking back to the precepts and opinions of men.
Luke 9:57 - 62 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man
said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And
Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the
Son of man hath not where to lay his head. And he said unto
another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus
said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom
of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let
me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And
Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking
back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
It should now be clear to you, that you can live a life of peace now.......
because no man will ever be with the Lord if he do not become and continue to be
a holy person.
Hebrews 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man
shall see the Lord....
We continue with a Message from Apostle S. C. Johnson …. Created For His
Glory ………
CREATED FOR HIS GLORY
By Bishop S. C. Johnson
Greetings everyone! This is the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ of
the Apostolic Faith. We are glad again to have the privilege of
coming to you by the way of radio. The way that God has chosen that He might get
the gospel to everybody He cannot lie. He
said, "…. this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a
witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." (Matthew 24:14) So
God owes it to you. He is going to pay off His debt to you, the
human family.
Remember, you are here for more than what you think. You have it in your mind that you are here to do what you please, but you are mistaken. Here is what you are here for: “Even every One that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.” (Isaiah 43:7)
So, I want you to understand regardless to how you feel or what you think about
it.
“I verily thought with
myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of
Nazareth." (Acts 26:9) Not only did it come into his mind
to do it, but he did it. However, he did not prosper by doing it. Nobody
will able to prosper when you fail to do what you were made to do. You are not
going to prosper. It is just like trying to take mirror, which
was made to give you vision of yourself, and use it for something that is
absolutely contrary. You have use the mirror for its original purpose;
otherwise, it will not serviceable—and never will be. It will not
be profitable. It was made for one purpose. And so
are you! You were made for ONE purpose.
Listen to what God said, “I will to say to the North, Give up; and to the South, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;" (Isaiah 43:6)
God wants everybody. He made everybody for His glory. That
is why you are here. Amen. You can do what you please, but you
remember this: God created you for His glory and He wants everyone. He
wants the North, the South—EVERYONE! You see now what you are up
against? You are not doing what you were made to do. If
you do not do what God made you to do, then you will be like the mirror of no
service whatsoever. Now a fig tree, a tree or an apple tree is
made to fruit. We eat the fruit of those trees and enjoy it. We
want to keep them alive as long as they will produce fruit. But
when they pass one or two years and do not produce any fruit, right away you
lose your patience with it and you are ready to cut the down.
I remember, there was an orchard on my farm that I bought some
ago. I was not well acquainted with orchards. There were some in
the back of my house and it had some fruit on it that looked kind of dead. I
did not give it chance for the spring to bring it out because it look as if it
was worthless. So, I decided to get some axes and some men and go
there and cut it down. Then, I could raise corn or sweet potatoes or
something that would be profitable. I went down and cut down almost half of the
orchard. It was the Lord that stopped me. I stopped
and did not go any further. When the spring came that part of the
orchard that I left brought forth peaches like my fist. How sorry
I was. It was too late. They were ready to produce
what my soul delighted in. I watched the trees and if they missed then I began
to lose patience. Finally, the trees got so old until they would
only bear two or three, I did not cut them down though until they just stopped. I
was afraid that the next year they would. I noticed my apple
orchard this year. Last year it did not do anything. This year we trimmed it up
and we sprayed it to give it a chance. so, I went down the other day and every
tree in the orchard I believe, was loaded so heavily until the apples to be
picked to give the others a chance to grow. Well, that made me
feel good. But, if they hung around there a year or two and did
not bring anything, I would be ready to axe them. That is the same
way God Almighty is going to do you. You can be foolish; you can
be unwise. You can be as stubborn as you please; but bear in mind that God is
calling for every human under the sun. Regardless to your good looks, your
education, your riches, how ugly you are—He is calling for you.
“I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my
sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; Even every me that
is called by my name for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him;
yea, I have made him. Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf
that have ears. Let all the nations gathered together, … (Isaiah 43:6-9)
God wants the nations to come. He made the nations. He created
everyone for His glory.
Everyone that comes, forth goes contrary to the thing that God
created for you. Therefore, He is setting forth the Word of God to you now
telling you what to do. It will be up to you to do it. I tell you, you will have
a long time stay in hell for not doing it. You will have a long
time!
There is a group preaching, “no hell,” and of course quite a number of people
are believing it. I am so certain that you are going to change
your faith until I am not worried. Amen. You are
going to lose your faith. Something is coming that is going to make you lose it.
So, God Almighty always wanted His people—all the time. He never
gave them up. Even though He created Adam, and Adam sinned
and He had to drive him out of the garden; but God still wants His people.
He left heaven, came down through forty-two generations and died on the cross. He
shed His blood there to redeem us back to Himself in order that He might move in
us. After that was done, then here comes the gospel on the day of
Pentecost telling us again what to do: in order to get right back in that same
holy state that we lost in the Garden of Eden through the disobedience of our
forefathers.
So then, no one has an excuse. It was brought to us and the gospel was brought
along with the deliverance and with salvation. It was preached
with the
Holy Ghost sent down from heaven until the people were pricked in their hearts.
Acts 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said
unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent,
and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission
of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
It has come to us at last, what we must do. So
then when they cried out, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” “Then
Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the Name of
Jesus Christ for the remission of sins,…Acts 2:38. Thank
God it has come on back now and no man or woman under the sun will have any
excuse. God wants to be in you. God made you for
His glory. He does not want the devil to live in you and to rule
you: then you would follow and serve the devil. God does not want
that. He wants to live in you Himself.
I am telling you now what you must do. What God
has for you—what is ordained for you do is to "repent." 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.
The devil gives you a religious front that is contrary to the Word of God
because you have not prepared yourself to offer your body up to God and walk
with
Him, you will gladly accept that thought. You went aside and
followed after that, thank God that is not in keeping with the Word of God. But
God is calling you now telling you what you must do. It says, Repent,
and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission
of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Acts 2:38
When you do that, then God will move back in you. The life that
you live then will be for His glory. May God bless you is my prayer to God for
you.
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
Present Guidelines for Individuals and Businesses in Phase 1:
· Stay
home except for essential trips
· Wear
face coverings in public
· Frequent
hand washing
· Social
distancing followed and enforced where practical
· To-go
and delivery orders from restaurants
· Continue
practicing teleworking
· Frequent
cleaning of public and high touch areas
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.