Ministers of Jesus Christ
Assemblies of The Apostolic Faith
Atlanta, Georgia - USA
Apostle Dennis G. Smith, Pastor and Spiritual Overseer
|
|
Ministers of Jesus Christ Assemblies of The Apostolic Faith Atlanta, Georgia - USA Apostle Dennis G. Smith, Pastor and Spiritual Overseer |
|
Date: April 19, 2020
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.
In most places you are still under
“Stay – At – Home”
executive orders therefore public gathering has been canceled temporary to
control or prevent the spreading of this virus.
All individuals subject to this policy must “STAY
AT HOME” except for certain essential
activities and work to provide life-sustaining business and government services.
Many countries and states are preparing to lift these restrictions in phases.
Religious institutions
Religious leaders are encouraged to find alternatives to in-person gatherings
and to avoid endangering their congregants. As these restrictions for gathering
are lifted, we will be following the recommended guidelines. We are continuing
to carry out the business of the Church according to their recommended safety
protocols. Resuming normal services will also include their recommended safety
criteria. To accommodate all Saints, we anticipate multiple services will be
needed.
Many States are under a Stay at Home Order through April 30. In Atlanta, Georgia
the order has been updated and is now in effect until 11:59 p.m. Thursday,
April 30, 2020.
This is subject to change again depending on the recommendation of health
officials to the Magistrates and governmental officials.
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. Whosoever therefore
resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall
receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but
to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good,
and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to
thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not
the sword in vain.
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:
Faith, Obedience, and Biblical Cures
Perhaps the
greatest danger we face in uncertain times is from those who will use the
suffering, sickness, and pain of others for personal persuasion, personal
recognition, personal agendas, personal judgement, and mind control.
2PETER 2:12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed,
speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in
their own corruption;
I have had many Preachers, so-called friends, and other acquaintances who called
me over the years to try to persuade me, “Saying to me that if you have faith,
then quit your job and rely on God.”
Trying to persuade people who are sick, injured or with bodily
deformities and pain to not seek medical attention when they are ill. Using all
kinds of words for people seeking companionship and marriage.
Tricking and taking advantage of people who are having financial
difficulty and hard times. And now for many people in the world they are again
calling some and posting their opinions to persuade you against the
recommendation of medical disease health authorities.
It is imperative
and most important that you understand the tenements of your faith in these
times or they will control your mind and make you think that you must attend
gatherings that spread infectious and contagious disease to you, your family and
all people throughout the world. I continued to work on my jobs and trusted in
God, never following the mindset of evil and uninformed people.
Most firemen will not run into a fire without protective equipment. Most
people will look both ways before crossing the street. Most people will test the
brakes of stopping power on their car generally called safety checks.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is a part of most dangerous jobs and has
absolutely nothing to do with a person’s faith or lack of reliance on God.
Separation for Leprosy or uncleanness was a part of the Biblical Levitical
Order.
2PETER 2:9-10 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and
to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: But chiefly
them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise
government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil
of dignities.
After we have done all that is
in our power for the health, safety, and welfare of all people, we are still
relying on God to protect us, heal us, grant us victory, and eternal salvation.
Notice how clear it is that only God can save us…. therefore, walk according
to your faith.
MATTHEW 9:27-31 And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him,
crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.
And when he was come into the house, the
blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to
do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then
touched he their eyes, saying,
According to your faith be it unto you.
And their eyes were opened; and Jesus
straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.
But they, when they were departed,
spread abroad his fame in all that country.
One person called me and said that the people who wore protective equipment did
not have faith and was scared. But
he was not scared and would not wear a mask or engage in social distancing. I
informed him that he may not be allowed to shop in certain stores if he did not
comply with safety guidelines. The choice to not wear protective gear is his own
personal decision and personal consequences.
There is history for parents who went to jail after children became sick.
ROMANS 14:01- 5 Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful
disputations. For one believeth that he
may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.
Let not him that eateth despise him that
eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath
received him. Who art thou that judgest
another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall
be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. One man esteemeth one day above
another: another esteemeth every day alike.
Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
Notice the humbleness of Jesus Christ, God almighty in the flesh in not sounding
a trumpet at the suffering of others and the request of the sick man, Lord if it
is your will….. and the proof that God is above all disease as he touched a
contagious man and healed him..
MATTHEW 8:2- 4 And, behold, there came a
leper and worshipped worshipped him, saying,
Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
And Jesus put forth his hand, and
touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was
cleansed. And Jesus saith unto him,
See thou tell no man;
but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses
commanded, for a testimony unto them.
JOHN 9:1- 13 And as Jesus passed by, he
saw a man which was blind from his birth. And
his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents,
that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor
his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.
I must work the works of him that sent
me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
As long as I am in the world, I am the
light of the world. When he had thus
spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the
eyes of the blind man with the clay, And
said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation,
Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.
The neighbours therefore, and they which
before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged?
Some said, This is he: others said, He
is like him: but he said, I am he.
Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened? He
answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes,
and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and
I received sight. Then said they unto
him, Where is he? He said, I know not. They brought to the Pharisees him that
aforetime was blind.
Their
focus was on keeping the sabbath day, not the healing of the blind man…..
JOHN 9:14- 22
And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.
Then again the Pharisees also asked him
how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes,
and I washed, and do see. Therefore said
some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the
sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And
there was a division among them. They
say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine
eyes? He said, He is a prophet. But the
Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and received his
sight, until they called the parents of him that had received his sight.
And they asked them, saying, Is this
your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see?
His parents answered them and said, We
know that this is our son, and that he was born blind: But by what means
he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of
age; ask him: he shall speak for himself.
Even his parents were more interested in their place in the synagogue than the
truth about the healing by Jesus Christ…..
JOHN 9:22- 29 These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for
the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he
should be put out of the synagogue. Therefore
said his parents, He is of age; ask him. Then
again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the
praise: we know that this man is a sinner. He
answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know,
that, whereas I was blind, now I see. Then
said they to him again, What did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes? He
answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye
hear it again? will ye also be his disciples? Then they reviled him, and
said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses’ disciples.
We know that God spake unto Moses: as
for this fellow, we know not from whence he is.
The Priest were angered by truthful and honest words that did not meet their
agenda……. and cast the healed man out of the synagogue.
JOHN 9:30- 35 The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous
thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes.
Now we know that God heareth not
sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he
heareth. Since the world began was it
not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.
If this man were not of God, he could do
nothing. They answered and said unto
him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast
him out.
But God cames to the rescue of the healed man who was casted out by the Priest
and increased his faith and fellowship….this reveals true reliance on God and
not catering to demands of religious showmanship and form that deny the Power of
God.
JOHN 9:35- 41 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him,
he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?
He answered and said, Who is he, Lord,
that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen
him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And
he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.
And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which
see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
And some of the Pharisees which were
with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? Jesus
said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see;
therefore your sin remaineth.
The Faith to ask God for Mercy and obedience to his command resulted in healing
from God…Notice that God simply gave words to obey…LUKE
17:12- 19 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that
were lepers, which stood afar off: And
they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
And when he saw them, he said unto them,
Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went,
they were cleansed. And one of them,
when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified
God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was
a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said,
Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found
that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him,
Arise, go thy way:
thy faith hath made thee whole.
The protection against death of the first born was blood of the Passover lamb on
the lintel and door post so that if the Israelites were relying on the word of
God from Moses whom they believed to be a Prophet who was following God and not
making up his own way they would obey and received the reward for their
obedience. This is why the True Prophet will obey the word of God not
presumptuous people speaking from their own opinion.
EXODUS 12:21- 29 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto
them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the
passover. And ye shall take a bunch of
hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and
the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go
out at the door of his house until the morning.
For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth
the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over
the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite
you. And ye shall observe this thing for
an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever. And
it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the LORD will give you,
according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service.
And it shall come to pass, when your
children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? That ye shall
say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD’s passover, who passed over the houses of
the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our
houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped.
And the children of Israel went away,
and did as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.
And it came to pass, that at midnight
the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt,
Read EXODUS 11 and 12 Chapters.
Elisha instructions sent by a messenger
to Naaman the Captain of the Syrian host( army ) who had Leprosy was to dip in
the water seven times, wash and be clean. This made the Syrian Captain mad
because he thought that the Prophet would perform as he desired having a special
service calling on the name of the Lord over him.
2Kings 5:10- 12 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in
Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be
clean. But Naaman was wroth, and went
away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and
call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and
recover the leper.
Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of
Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be
clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.
This reveals how
many people come to expect religious showmanship when expecting something from
the Lord. But Naaman’s servant gives him good advice to obey the word of the
Prophet even if it did not meet his expectation of doing some great thing.
2Kings 5:13- 14 And his servants came
near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do
some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he
saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? Then went he down, and dipped himself
seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh
came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
In Leviticus 13, the Lord God almighty gave instructions through Moses and
specific procedures for dealing with a person suspected of being infected with
leprosy. The
instructions provided a basic guidelines for distinguishing temporary conditions
from chronic ailments, for pronouncing people and items with "leprous" spots
ritually clean (in cases of stable or healing states) or ritually unclean (in
cases of infectious and spreading states), and for preventing defilement or
contamination of others normally by isolating the infected person or item.
LEVITICUS 13:01- 4 And the LORD spake
unto Moses and Aaron, saying, When a man shall have in the skin of his
flesh a rising, a scab, or bright spot, and it be in the skin of his flesh like
the plague of leprosy; then he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest, or unto
one of his sons the priests: And the priest shall look on the plague in the skin
of the flesh: and when the hair in the plague is turned white, and the plague in
sight be deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a plague of leprosy: and the
priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean.
To be declared unclean because of leprosy meant that the unfortunate person had
to tear his clothes and put a covering upon his upper lip and cry, "unclean,
unclean." If the condition was contagious, such individuals were to live
separated outside the camp. Separated from the community, family and friends. In
approaching Jesus, the man who was afflicted with leprosy cleary exhibited faith
in the healing power of God and Jesus revealed his healing power over contagious
disease in touching the leper. But
notice, no special service was called which threatens the lives of others. This
is the example we see in many first responders, Doctors, nurses etc. When I
prayed for some in hospitals, I obeyed and followed the hospital’s protocols and
laid hand on the sick and they recovered if it was the will of God.
No special service was called. Usually
when you are in the hospital you are not with your immediate family even though
they can come to visit in some cases.
MATTHEW 6:1- 6 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of
them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do
not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in
the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have
their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy
right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth
in secret himself shall reward thee openly. And
when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to
pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may
be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into
thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in
secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
I sincerely hope that you can see that our confidence in God is not based on the
judgement and expectation of man. This is the reason why we do not allow people
to use their thought and opinion to turn us from our reliance on Jesus Christ.
If some criticize you for protecting yourself and your family, please continue
to love them regardless of what they say.
MATTHEW 5:44- 45 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse
you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use
you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which
is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and
sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
May the Lord Bless you and keep you in perfect love,
Apostle Dennis G. Smith
What Is Social Distancing?
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 by avoiding
public transportation 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 contacts who are infected with
COIVID-19 don’t need a mask most of the time. However, wearing a nonmedical or
homemade mask may be helpful in certain situations or for certain populations.
•
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.
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.