Ministers of Jesus Christ
Assemblies of The Apostolic Faith
Atlanta, Georgia - USA
Apostle Dennis G. Smith, Pastor and Spiritual Overseer
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Ministers of Jesus Christ Assemblies of The Apostolic Faith Atlanta, Georgia - USA Apostle Dennis G. Smith, Pastor and Spiritual Overseer |
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To all the Saints of God,
Grace and peace be unto all the Saints of God around the World. As this
Coronavirus Pandemic continues, we are continually reminding the Saints of God
that we are obeying the magistrates and following the guideline of the health
and governmental authorities for the safety of all people.
Health authorities and
governmental officials continue to strongly encourage people to wear face
coverings in public and use social distancing, wash your hands, and get tested
with or without symptoms. In
some places wearing face mask is mandatory in all indoor and outdoor public
spaces.
Health
authorities are indicating that the covid-19 infection data for the City of
Atlanta, Georgia is not
favorable at
this present time, therefore the in-person services will
remained on hold until
further notice. Our city is requesting people
to stay -at-home or shelter-in-place at their homes and only leave for essential
tasks.
As we obey the Magistrates, we have complete faith that God will continue
to hear our prayers and provide a way for us through these uncertain times.
Romans 13:2-4 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no
power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
TITUS 3:1-2 Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey
magistrates, to be ready to every good work, To speak evil of no man, to be no
brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.
This week’s encouraging words of growth focuses on:
"THE TRINITY CONTROVERSY"
part I
By Apostle Dennis G. Smith
The scripture
reference commonly called the Great Commission is what many people also refer to
as the Holy Trinity. The Great
Commission in Matthew 28:16–20 is the
command of the resurrected Jesus Christ to his disciples to teach the gospel to
all the nations of the world and to baptize all nations in the name of the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The
singular name of these three titles is Jesus Christ according to the bible
and is clearly explained and indicated in the bible book of Acts of the Apostles
which gives a biblical historical account of what the Apostles taught and did.
The question as
to whether the Trinity of titles in Matthew 28:19
refer to manifestations of God or to the of essential nature of God as
separate persons has been raised again and again in the history of the Church
after the Biblical Apostles died by men who had no authority from God to change
one word. When we
speak of three manifestations of One God, many oneness believers call it a
trinity of manifestations because the non-biblical word trinity means a group of
three things. In most dictionary books
the word person means an individual being characterized by consciousness,
rationality, morality, and consisting of both a body and a mind or soul.
Because God is one being in the teaching of all Godhead doctrines the use
of the word persons has been declared as misleading and erroneous even by those
who claim to be trinitarians. Many
then began using the word personality to replace the false doctrine from the use
of the word three separate persons.
But personality refers to the combination of characteristics or qualities that
form an individual's distinctive character.
While it is true that God is Holy in character as it pertains to the
title Holy Ghost, the father and the son would apply to relational titles and
not personalities or character titles. Can you now see
the controversy caused by men trying to appease the corrupt debates of ungodly
men?
The commission
from Jesus has been interpreted by evangelical Christians as meaning that his
followers have the duty to go, make disciples, teach, and baptize all nations on
the planet. The command is
clearly to teach and baptize all nations in the singular name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
The interpretation is to teach and baptize all nations in the
singular name of the one God who is known and revealed as Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost. Why is he
known this way? Because he revealed
himself as Father when he made all things,
as son when he was born of the virgin Mary for our redemption, and as
Holy Ghost when he poured out his spirit on the day of Pentecost and moved men
to speak his Holy Word through various times.
Notice the command of the one God is not to debate all nations as to
their views and explanations about his being, but to teach them of his commands
and baptize them in his name which is Jesus Christ.
This is what the Apostle Peter did as recorded in
Acts 2:37 – 38 in obedience to the command
of Jesus Christ on the day of Pentecost the birthday of the New Testament
Church. This is the reason why those who
follow the Apostle’s Doctrine are referred to as Pentecostal and Apostolic.
In doing so we teach all nations the gospel of the birth, death, burial
resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. We
baptize them in the Name of Jesus Christ and assure them of the promise that
they shall receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost with the sign following speaking
in other tongues as the Spirit of God gives them utterances.
Matthew 28:16 -20 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a
mountain where Jesus had appointed them.
And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in
heaven and in earth.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and,
lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
·
The controversy concerning how many Gods exist?
Deuteronomy 6:4 - 5 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt
love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all
thy might.
The doctrine of the Trinity was first formulated among the so-called fathers of the Church as they attempted to rationalize the titles of the modes or manifestations of the way God revealed himself or the titles by which he is known. Most people know from the reading of the Bible that the word trinity is not a scriptural term used by any Biblical Apostle, Prophet, Bishop, Elder or Teacher, but the word manifestation or manifest is used by the Lord Jesus Christ and his Apostles. Therefore, when anyone disputes the use of the word manifestation, they are disputing truth statements in the bible.
The three titles, three manifestations , or three modes by which the one God is
known today is the understanding that many Christians call the oneness form of
trinity when expressing a triadic or
triune understanding of God from Matthew 28:19.
Reflection by early Christians on the Great Commission: "
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost " while at the same time
obeying the Jewish the old testament command: "
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
" has led
theologians across history in attempting to articulate the
relationship between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Eventually, the diverse references to
God, Jesus, and the Spirit found in the New Testament were brought together to
form the doctrine of the Trinity—one God subsisting in three persons and one
substance. Because the use of the word
persons and separate and distinct persons when referring to the Father, Son,
and Holy Ghost gives the implication of three separate beings or three Gods
depending on the linguistic understanding of the word person and has caused much
controversy and false teaching, the core belief today for many Christians is:
There is One God, who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Or if speaking from the natural life of the son, there is One God, who
is Father in creation, was Son in redemption because the natural body of Blood
is now deceased and the glorified body of spirit which rose from the grave and
ascended into heaven now stands, and Is the Holy Ghost the indwelling Spirit
empowering the Believer in the Church.
The doctrine of
the Trinity was used to oppose alternative views of how the three are related
and to defend the church against charges of worshiping two or three gods.
From his historical point of view, we can see that anyone who claims
multiple Gods in any way is proclaiming false doctrine according to the biblical
oneness viewpoint, or the non-biblical trinitarian viewpoint for they both
emphasize and teach one God only.
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The controversy of the name of the One God…...
We teach all nations that there is one name given whereby men must be saved and
that there is no other name given under heaven whereby men can be saved.
Any statement or teaching of other names for salvation is False doctrine.
While the bible uses other names to describe various attributes of God,
the only name given for salvation is Jesus Christ.
And the only name used for baptism by the Apostles of God was Jesus
Christ or Lord Jesus.
Acts 4:7 - 12 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what
power, or by what name, have ye done this? Then Peter, filled with the
Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,
If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what
means he is made whole; Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of
Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom
God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
This is the stone, which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the
head of the corner. Neither is there
salvation in any other:
for there is none other
name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Acts 2:36 – 42 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God
hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. A 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?
ACT2:38 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.
For the promise is unto you, and to your
children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall
call. And with many other words did he
testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
Then they that gladly received his word
were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand
souls. And they continued stedfastly in
the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
No Apostle or
Prophet of the true Church was involved in the intellectual and theological
debates in the early centuries that led to the formulation of the three separate
and distinct persons in the Godhead of what some call the orthodox doctrine of
Trinity. For this reason, we see a
doctrine formed by intellectual debates rather than by what the Lord Jesus
Christ or his Apostles and Prophets actually taught.
During these dark periods we often see debates not between truth and
error, but between
one error and a different error—a fact seldom recognized by many
modern scholars who are critical of the oneness or Jesus only understanding of
the Godhead which is based on the
actual teachings of the Apostles and Prophets of God.
One writer
reports that a classic example of this was the dispute over the nature of Christ
that led the pagan Roman emperor Constantine the Great to convene the Council of
Nicaea (in modern-day western Turkey) in A.D. 325.
As emperor in a period of great tumult within the Roman Empire, Constantine was
challenged with keeping the empire unified. He recognized the value of religion
in uniting his empire. This was, in fact, one of his primary motivations in
accepting and sanctioning the “Christian” religion (which, by this time, had
drifted far from the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Apostles and was
Christian in name only).
In sanctioning the Christian religion, Constantine faced a new problem that had
to be solved which was the doctrine of God which split Christians into bitterly
warring groups.
Constantine,
although held by many to be the first “Christian” Roman Emperor, was actually a
sun-worshiper who was only baptized on his deathbed.
He was said to be also anti-Semitic,
calling customs that were in fact rooted in the Bible and practiced by Jesus and
the Apostles “the detestable Jewish crowd” and “the customs of these most wicked
men.”
As emperor, Constantine was in the unusual position of deciding church doctrine
even though he was not really a Christian.
Constantine convened the Council of Nicaea in the year 325 as much for
political reasons—for unity in the empire—as religious ones. The primary issue
at that time came to be known as the Arian controversy.
The ongoing disagreements were at times violent and bloody. Some historians
refer to the aftermath of the Council of Nicaea as a time when more Christians
were slaughtered by other Christians than by all the persecutions of Christians
by pagans in the history of Rome.
While claiming to be Christian many believers fought and slaughtered one
another over their differing views of God!
We have witness similarities of warring Saints over non-biblical views in
our modern lifetime. This is the
reason why the Saints must always remember and continue steadfastly in the
Apostle’s Doctrine. Each generation
will produce presumptuous and highly opinionated men and women who will seek to
promote their own agendas and you must never follow their evil ways.
One Trinitarian
writer indicates that Christianity has reason to guard itself, as it has
generally sought to do, against tritheistic (three God) conceptions. Both the
unity(oneness) and the tripersonal(three persons) nature of God must to be
maintained. And
thus the proper baptismal formula according to trinitarians is not “In the name
of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit,” but the words as our
Lord gave them (Matt. 28:19). You
can see clearly that this is not the baptism which was done by the Apostles in
the Book of Acts the historical book of the Biblical New Testament Church.
The Apostles obeyed the words of the Lord Jesus and baptized in his name.
The trinitarian writer indicates also that the word person may be inadequate and
is doubtless used often in a way that is misleading. And it is to be noted
that this teaching of the church has been called forth for the purpose of
combating various forms of error and is not held as a
complete or perfect
expression of the truth concerning the unfathomable being of God, but
rather as a protest against the denials of the personality and supreme deity of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
As we can see front this statement from trinitarian writers, that the doctrine
of three separate and distinct persons in the Godhead is not held to be an
expression of truth, but a defense against those who deny that the Son of God
and the Holy Ghost is God almighty.
In other words, those that deny that Jesus Christ is God Almighty.
All people should now understand that many of those who claim to be
trinitarians are clearly false teachers when they teach that the Jesus Christ is
not God almighty and deceive their congregations proclaiming that they are
trinitarians. If they even hint on
there being more than one God in the Godhead, they are simply false teachers
under the disguise of trinitarianism.
You can also see that the incorrect baptismal formula or method of
baptism in the titles of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost is what also makes them
trinitarian not only their misunderstanding of Godhead.
THE RELIGIOUS WORLD "IS OUT
OF THE WAY" part I
By Bishop S. C. Johnson
Greetings everyone! This is the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic
Faith. Here you have an opportunity
to visit and hear the Truth; then line up with God's One Way of salvation.
That is the reason I am condemning the religious world.
In Isaiah 28:7, the people are referred to as "out of the way".
Isaiah spoke by the Spirit because the Bible says,
"For the prophecy came not in old time by the will
of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." (II
Peter 1:21).
Go to church and hypocrite, but the Truth of God is here now. Therefore, you have no excuse. God has sent forth the truth in its fullness. This is a Gospel which no one can condemn. This has not been done since the days of the Apostle. They could not do it, because no one knew what they were doing; they could not go strong on it. When you do not know where you are going, you do not drive seventy miles an hour, unless you are a fool. If you do not know where you are going, you drive slowly, and someone can detect that you need help. My God! I can go strong. I can blast this gospel to the very top of my voice with all the strength God gives me. I am going to prove that everyone is a hypocrite. This is of God, not of myself. I was ignorant of God as any human being born into the world. But I can now say of a truth, that He has made known unto me the mystery and therefore, I am delivering what God has given me, to the world.
"But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way (Isaiah 28:7).
When a
man gets full of wine, you cannot trust him. You cannot trust a drunk man. God
likens false prophets unto a drunk man. When you do not know the truth, you have
the same Spirit as someone who is drunk.
There are two spirits, you know: The
spirit of God and the spirit of the devil.
The spirit of the devil told man that there were three distinct persons
in the godhead. Every time the devil
leads you, he carries you out of the way. We are having a battle with creation
now over the subject of three- distinct persons in the godhead, but we
can win.
When you perform your baptism, false prophet, you were led by the devil who took
you in the water and said, "l will therefore baptize you in the name of the
Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost;" . . .you left off the name and
were only using the titles.
The devil has a
perfect understanding of Matthew 28: 19. He knows that the name Of the Father,
Son and Holy Ghost is Jesus. But the preacher takes this message from the devil
and delivers it to his people, destroying them. Once, in discussing baptism with
a woman, she claimed she was "immersed." I asked her how and in what name.
Some people are
fool enough to believe that you do not need any water at all. The devil has
blinded people to the extent that they cannot think of the fact Jesus went to
John for baptism. Following that, Jesus
told Nicodemus, "Except a man be born of water and
of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (John 3:5)
Some people are too shallow to consider
these facts. The devil has another bunch of fools who will christen a baby at
two weeks old. There is no Bible for this damnable doctrine; yet, we have fools
in our midst. How many? I do not know. '
'But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be
false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even
denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction."
(II Peter 2:1)
Of course, you are aware of the bunch of fools who come along and baptize
according to the titles of Jesus, "Father, Son and Holy Ghost". Jesus told them
in Matthews 28:19 to baptize in the "name" of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Everyone knows that if you were to
transact business 'for your father, you would not sign your father's name as
"Son, husband or father." You would leave off these titles and write his name
which might be John Jones. He has the title "son” because he was a
man-child or born of a woman. He married
and took on -the title "husband," because he had a wife. When his first
child was born, he was entitled to be called "father".
BUT IS SON, HUSBAND, AND FATHER HIS NAME? No!!
This Sermon from Apostle Johnson may sound harsh to some of you, but you must
realize that the consequence of following false doctrine and deception can lead
to eternal damnation in the lake of fire.
While they promise you liberty and salvation, they are the servants of
corruption.
We will continue with this message on next week….
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 Testing among the local Saints in Atlanta:
Apostle Dennis Smith, First Lady Sarah-Geraldine Smith have tested negative for
the third time for the Month of August even though they work with contractors
almost daily and continue shopping at building supply, grocery stores etc.. but
have maintained mask wearing, social distancing and washing mitigation as
requested by the health authorities. Sister
Jasmine Soto, Brother Joel Soto, Sister Sabina Arnesen, Sister Rachel Arnesen,
Brother Cornelius Arnesen have tested negative for the Month of August their
second negative test. Many other
local Atlanta Saints have also tested negative for the previous Months.
We encourage all Saints to be vigilant and watchful for the health and
safety of all people.
Coronavirus outbreak in Churches from health reports:
This indicates that there is some infection risk for in-person services.
So Personal Protective Equipment is needed to minimize the risk of
infection and spreading the virus.
·
New outbreaks of the coronavirus are surging through churches across the country
where in-person services have resumed.
The virus has infiltrated Sunday sermons, meetings of ministers and Christian
youth camps. It has struck churches that
reopened cautiously with face masks and social distancing in the pews, as well
as some that defied lockdowns and refused to heed new limits on the numbers of
worshipers. Pastors and their
families have tested positive, as have church ushers, front-door greeters, and
hundreds of churchgoers.
·
Although some governors have issued a statewide order mandating masks, many
people attending Church services are not obeying.
This is reported to be true at many Churches in America: If they are told
they have to wear a mask, they will stay home.
·
Any indoor activities, such as in-person
worship services, pose a particularly high risk for coronavirus transmission
even with masks, especially when they include singing is the latest reports by
some health authorities. While
coughing or sneezing can spread larger respiratory droplets, singing, and
talking release smaller infectious particles that can hang in the air and
circulate in enclosed spaces.
·
The circumstances of having groups of people together without masks and singing
without mask is a setup that is called a superspreading event.
Present Guidelines for Individuals and Businesses in Phase 1:
Social Distancing guidelines:
When to Wear a Mask:
Those who are staying home and have no close contact with people who are
infected with COIVID-19 do not need a mask most of the time. However, wearing a
nonmedical or homemade mask may be helpful in certain situations or for certain
populations. Wear a Mask when:
Because homemade masks protect everyone else from the droplets created by the
wearer, it is important that as many people as possible wear these masks when
leaving their homes. This helps prevent those who may be infectious but are only
mildly symptomatic or not symptomatic from spreading the virus to others in the
community.
Everyone should remember the phrase: “My mask protects you; your mask protects
me.” By increasing the overall number of people who are containing their coughs,
sneezes, and other droplets, it will help us control the overall spread of the
virus.