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 November 12, 2020, the City of Atlanta, Georgia remains in Phase II of the
Reopening Plan.
Georgia’s “shelter in place” orders have expired for the majority of Georgia
businesses. However, statewide orders state
that businesses
must continue to operate with social distancing and sanitation rules to keep
customers and employees safe. The Public Health State of Emergency remains in
effect through December 9, 2020.
We are
continuing limited in-person gatherings to maintain the requested social
distancing and online service through Zoom, Facebook, and YouTube. The
“shelter in place” order has expired for Georgians over the age of 65, unless
they are “medically fragile. Baptism and prayer service is continuing using
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:
Sound Doctrine
That Cannot Be Condemned (Part 1)
By Apostle
Dennis G. Smith
Titus 2:1 - 8 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: That
the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in
patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as
becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good
things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their
husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home,
good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Young
men likewise exhort to be sober minded. In all things shewing
thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity,
sincerity, Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he
that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.
Sound doctrine means to teach the things that brings forth a turn from sin and produces a righteous and holy lifestyle. It is clear that sound doctrine usually referred to as healthy teaching that will promote good behavior and character. Sound Doctrine means to teach people to love God and obey his commandments, to live right, to respect and obey parents, to respect and treat each other righteously and honestly, to respect and obey civil laws that are for our health and safety, in other words to care about the good and wellbeing of all people. This is the purpose of good and healthy teaching.
It should promote a change in the behavior and attitudes of people for the betterment of themselves, their families, and the community at large. You should see why justifying drunkenness, fornication, stealing, jealousy, malice etc.… would not fit in the teaching of sound doctrine.
To produce sound doctrine, you must be ready to correct, rebuke and exhort
people for the things that they do. This is what many people of
the world do not want. Anything that is restricted to their
lustful ways even if it is for their own good, they will speak against and
disobey. I saw this when the seat belt laws were enacted. There
were individuals who fought against the law even though it would save their own
life. The same is occurring today involving the wearing of mask to
protect our fellowman from the coronavirus. There are those who
will resist the thing that can save their own family member because it is
restrictive to their own behavior.
Apostle Paul charges Timothy to preach the word at all times even when it is
inappropriate, but use the word to correct, rebuke, and exhort, enduring the
suffering or hardship it may bring upon you as a result of the truth of the
doctrine. Apostle Paul also acknowledges and informs Bishop
Timothy that a time will come when people will not listen to the teaching of the
truth, or change for the better.
2Timothy 4:2 - 4 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove,
rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time
will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts
shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn
away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
There are many disagreements that so-called Churches have over
the teaching on salvation, methods of baptism, modesty in dress, righteous
conduct, and will deliberately mislead people astray if it produces large crowds
and monetary gain. The word is clear about the wide way that leads
to destruction which the many follow and the narrow way which leads to eternal
life which the few find. So that if you preach sound doctrine that
is according to the truth, you can expect that there will be those who will to
speak against the truth. The Saints must learn to expect
opposition and stand firm on their faith and doctrine when they know and can
prove it to be the truth. And yet the Church must test every
spirit for there are some who are deceived.
Apostle Paul warns Bishop Timothy that he will face people who will seek
teachers who speak according to their own desire and not according the Apostle’s
Doctrine who will not endure sound doctrine, but instead heap to themselves
teachers in order to satisfy their itching ears. When people have
itching in their body or on their body they are not satisfied until they have
some relief either through scratching or medicinal ointment. This
is the same thing that occurs with the word of God. When people do
not want to hear truth, they will not be satisfied until they find someone who
agrees with them and can present a view that denies the truth and promotes the
falseness in their own mind.
They will turn away from truth, sound instruction, sound speech that cannot be condemned and multiply false religious teachers which give the appearance of success in the eyes of the world but actually leads them and the people who follow them to eternal damnation. The lusts of sinful people will drive them away from Apostolic teaching. Those people who are unwilling to live the life necessary to have eternal life with the Lord Jesus Christ, will seek out for themselves more indulgent teachers, who will gratify their hearers with false doctrine or fables, and will, at the same time not put stress on the Apostolic Standard of living a pure holy lifestyle.
We must continue preaching and spreading the Apostle’s Doctrine doing the work
of the evangelist through preaching and spreading the truth of the Gospel when
dealing with the fables of the false teachers.
2Timothy 4:5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an
evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
When a person believes and obeys the word of God it leads them to eternal life,
a personal individual salvation by grace through faith by which the individual
is brought from spiritual death to spiritual life (regeneration) generally
called conversion.
Most of us even when we were small children can remember our salvation or conversion experience with God which began with the knowledge of sin, then repentance, contrition or a sorrowful heart realizing that we are sinners who would be punished in the fires of hell through listening to or hearing the preaching of true men of God and Bible study. We learn of the love and mercy of God which brings us to a humble state to obey what we heard and to ask for forgiveness and Baptism in water for remission of our sins because we have faith and believe in the mercy and love of God.
After we were Baptized by immersion in water in the name of
the Lord Jesus Christ we arose from that watery grave with forgiveness and
remission of our sin and feeling justified because of the love of the Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ. Then we begin calling on the name of the Lord
Jesus Christ until he filled our soul with the precious gift of the Holy Ghost,
and we had completed the born-again experience and was now fully justified by
our God. We now had a mind and heart change to continue growing in
the Apostle’s Doctrine after being renewed with a new nature, continuing on in
progressive sanctification striving for the mark of perfection to be the Church
without spot or wrinkle.
Hebrews 6:1 - 2 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let
us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from
dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying
on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
Notice how that we did not obtain our salvation experience by indulgences and penances set up by dishonest men, but by believing and obeying the Apostle’s Doctrine. We did not add or follow the thoughts of men but obeyed the word of God. For all of us, it is expected that after the conversion experience we would lead a holy lifestyle by progressive sanctification—"the progressive growth in each Saint's ability to lead a holy life. Because of our real experience with God which is a Bible proven salvation that cannot be condemned we work to teach all men by Sound Doctrine and the example of a Holy lifestyle.
We continue
with a Message from Apostle S. C. Johnson ……...ADD NOT!!………
Add NOT!
By Bishop S. C. Johnson
Greetings everyone! This is the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith. That is why you hear us say to everybody, it is one way. We can say this because we have the knowledge of the Truth of the Gospel. Now, nobody can talk about one way and stick to it unless they have this knowledge. The reason we talk so much about one way is that we know that when you get into the Truth everybody will go the same way. If we did not know the truth, then we would think like most people.
Just since you go to Church —what .is the difference? See, but we know better than that. We hold it—- that it is one way for everybody and the instructions about the One way is found in the Word of God. So then, we cannot be mistaken. Just cannot be. Impossible for us to be mistaken since we have obtained our information from the Bible. Whoever goes to the Bible, if he understands or gets anything, he is going to get it like the Bible says. lf another goes and he will get it like the Bible says----and of course, they will end up speaking the same thing.
Just as you go to the meat markets and say to the butcher, "Give me a pound of meat," well, there are so many to the pound. If another comes, and says. "Give me a pound, he will get the same amount.
Now, we want to call your attention to what the Bible teaches. Everybody
is wrong. They are wrong because they do not speak as the Bible speaks. Everybody
has his ideas, everybody has his opinions and, of course, men will follow ideas
and men will follow opinions. They will say, 'That is the way I
see it." You cannot meet God like that. You know
what you are going to see? You are going to see what the Bible
says.
Jesus said, "He that believeth on me, as the
Scripture hath said…... (John 7:38) Now, if We believed the
scripture and would go to the scripture to get our information, everybody would
come back speaking the same thing. But, today, people are
hypocrites. They do not pay the Bible any attention. They do not
have a Bible salvation. They do not have it! They do
not want it. The will add to the Bible or they will take away; and
anytime you add, you have made a mess of things. Anytime you take
away, you have made mess of things. If you try tb diminish a
five-dollar bill, or take it and try to make fifty—you are going to make a mess
of things. You will have to leave it like it is. If you do not,
you are going to get in trouble. I want to show you (according to
Revelation 22:18-19) the danger that is before the people.
REV22:18 -19 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy
of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the
plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from
the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the
book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in
this book.
I come warning you, letting everybody know that everybody in
the world has to do 'the same "one" thing. Somebody will say,
"What is that?" What the Bible says. Whatever the Bible says, you
have that to do. You are not going to leave anything out. You are
not going to add anything. You are not going to take anything away. If
you ever get into the kingdom of God, you are going, get into the Kingdom
according to the scripture. For I testify…. here is warning! You
will not hear now, but Oh God, when you get into that hot, burning lake of fire
(that will burning night and day) and will be there as long as God lives. You
will remember how you sat down and let the devil play with your mind; how you
heard the Word of God and threw it off. You knew it was Bible, but
you threw it off. The devil gave you a thought to offset you. When
you wake up and come to yourself—that you are in hell, burning and falling and
hollering and will never get out; you are going to curse the day you were born.
But men and women are following today's opinions, ideas—what they like; what
they do not like. What they do not want to do. You are going to do what the Word
of God says do or else you are going to suffer the consequences. You
will remember this time; you will remember having the privilege of sitting,
hearing the pure unadulterated, guaranteed, certified gospel of God. You
are hearing it at my mouth. I say you are hearing it at my mouth,
and I dare, and I defy any Bible scholar, any preacher, bishop, apostle,
deacon—whomever he may to condemn what I have told you. The
reason you are slow in taking what I say is because it, is something in the Word
of God that you do not want to do. Something offends you and
because the Word offends you then the devil will make you cut the speed down and
go very slowly or not at all until you die and wake up in a devil's hell. But
I am warning you tonight.
HEB2:1 - 3 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which
we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word
spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received
a just recompence of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great
salvation;
The devil has the minds of the people now, and their ears. They
just go to Church to be going to church. They are not going to
church to obey what the Word says. But here is a warning. REV22:18
For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this
book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues
that are written in this book:
Do you hear it. Even though you do not obey it, you will hear it anyhow. After
you hear it, you just do what you please. My God, but I cannot
cease to preach it. I just cannot help myself when I think of what
is coming and how you are going to curse the day you were born. I
am giving you a good warning. I am telling you there is not a church in the
world right. All the preachers are false prophets, and all the
churches are, false churches.
Now, when I come telling this Truth, I make hypocrites and prophets mad. That is the reason they say I said that am the only one right. I have. never said that. I have never said that in all of my ministry—that I am the only one right. Here is what I have said: If there is anybody else right, they have to be like me. One fellow told me, "Well, that is the same thing." All right, if that is the same thing, it is the same thing. Then get like me because you cannot condemn me. It is "one" thing. They do not like it. Thank God, you know I am reaching millions and they do not. like it, but I dare them to run in on me. I double dare them.
I offer them a reward of five hundred thousand dollars. I said, "If I am wrong, run in on me." They know better. It is something in them that resists the Truth. They get mad me because I make it so strong. I made it plain and then show them up by saying, "Come get the money." Everybody knows, anytime the false prophets do not come and get the money, something is wrong. There is no use in, saying they do not want it because nobody believes that lie. They say, “I do not want his money." If they walked over a nickel that I dropped and if they had lumbago, when they left there that spot would be bare. And they do not want five hundred thousand dollars? They are liars. They know this gospel that I am preaching has showed up creation. Showed creation up and can talk. Nobody can grunt. They better not.
I SAY YOU ARE IN A FALSE CHURCH! I do not care who you are, and I do not care what kind of church it is. Anytime you do not come to this gospel that you have heard out of my mouth; you do not mean to be right. You do not want to be right—and then go to some church! You not doing anything but killing time on your way to hell. That is all. Anytime you do not come to this thing, you do not want the thing that is real.
Somebody made the statement tonight, “Looks like everybody ought to want something that cannot be condemned." But they do not. Not when it comes to the spiritual part. If you were going up in a airplane and one of the motors was knocking, you would not get in that one, would you? You hypocrite. Somebody will say, ' 'What is the matter with that one? Another will say, “One of the motors is going bad—knocking. You come, on and get in that one." You will say, "No, I will not." If you hear one running smooth, all the motors going. You will say this is the one I will take. It cannot be condemned. It has been inspected. It is an right. If they say, "Do not go into that plane. That plane is condemned. Who would get in there? Nobody. But here that is a plane that is not condemned, passed, gassed up, and all ready to go. That is the one you would take.
Here is a gospel that cannot be condemned but you will not come to it. Here are all the other man-made gospels (all of them are condemned) yet will flow into them by the thousands. But you will understand. You hypocrite. I am talking to hundreds—millions of hypocrites. They would not get into an old, dilapidated airplane. They want the best. Why? They want to save their natural life. Here I come bringing a gospel that nobody can condemn. They do not like it, but they cannot condemn it.. After, you hear me, the devil comes along and blinds you. He will push you off and try to show you something in order to keep you from accepting it until you die and wake up in a devil's hell. But what is written in God's word, you are going to be judged by that. By what? Every word. Christ said, man shall not live by bread alone but by every word of God. (Luke 4:4)
LUK4:04 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live
by bread alone, but by every word of God.
As much gospel as I have sent into this city, why this place, tonight, ought not begin to hold the folks. Why even the stairways ought' to be packed. IS that right? But what? Hypocrites are in town, false prophets in town. Pretenders are here. They have heard me preach; know they cannot condemn what I say. Jesus said, “…blessed is he, whoever shall not be offended in me. (Matthew 11:.6)
MAT11:06 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
Anytime the word says a thing and you get offend about it because you have to do a little dying to obey and you back up from it; you are going to back right back in hell. Listen to what the scripture says in Revelation 22:18. REV22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
You be careful now. God is going to add to you plagues and oh God—oh God. When God adds the plagues to a human being that is written in this book. Do you want them? The reason you have never heard the in your life, you have never had anybody to tell you the truth. The false prophets will tell you the truth about one thing and lie about another. That is not the gospel. I come because I fear God. I want to get in God’s kingdom. That is Why I am running and going—doing as I do; I want to be counted worthy. Since I want to be counted worthy, I am going to warn you. Paul said to Timothy, ... in doing this thou shall thyself, and them that hear thee. (1st Timothy 4:16)
1Timothy 4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them:
for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
Now, if you would hear me tonight, you would save your soul. If
you do not hear me, don't you put your foot in anybody's church no more while
you live.
Do you hear? Don't you put your foot… if you get up after you hear me and go to
some church, I do not care whether you are the pastor. or the bishop there— you
are a first-class hypocrite. That is what you are. Don't
you go to anybody's church no more after you hear me because I have brought all
of it. I have showed you everything. And you do not want that—then
you go home, sit down, and save your shoe leather, and go to hell free of
charge. All right!
People tell me sometimes, “Yes, I listen: I hear you every Sunday until it is time to go my church. You hypocrite. What is the use of your going to church after you hear me? You are going to cut me off and get go to a false church. Oh, God it is not funny. I said it is not funny. You will understand though.
If any man shall add unto thee things, shall add unto him the plagues that are
in this book. And if any takeaway from the words of the book of
this prophecy God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of
the holy city, and from the things which are written in this (Revelation 22 :18,
19)
We will
continue with these messages next in part 2……………
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
Coronavirus outbreak in Churches from health reports: November 15,
2020
L.A. megachurch
pastor mocks pandemic health orders, even as church members fall ill. And
three people have died from Covid-19 infections.
Present
Guidelines for Individuals and Businesses in Phase 2:
· Stay
home except for essential trips
· Wear
face coverings in public
· Frequent
hand washing
· Social
distancing followed and enforced where practical
· Small
private gatherings of no more than 10 people, with social distancing
· 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.