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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Date: May 03, 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 many 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 beginning to lift these restrictions in phases.
Religious institutions and businesses
"In accordance with Georgia Govenor's executive orders, businesses across the
Peach State must continue to operate with strict social distancing and
sanitation rules to keep customers and employees safe through May 13, 2020.
Those rules vary by business type for a measured, health-driven approach.
Religious leaders are encouraged under safety protocols to limit and control
in-person gatherings to avoid endangering their congregants as the restrictions
for gathering are lifted. To accommodate all Saints, we are planning to
implement these services when the entire order is lifted in Georgia on June 12,
2020: 1st week Sisters
Department, 2nd week Brothers Department, 3rd week Youth
Department, 4th week all Department officials for Executive Board
meetings. All services will take place on Sundays only from 11am until 2pm to
allow for proper cleaning and disinfecting all surfaces. No night services
during the week due disinfection procedures. Baptism, pray and tarrying service,
will continue each Sunday following all safety protocols including the use of
personal protective equipment.
Many States are under a Stay at Home Order through May 8, 2020. In Georgia
Governor Kemp has extended our public health state of emergency through June 12,
2020 to continue enhanced testing across Georgia, ramp up contact tracing, and
maintain effective emergency response operations in every region. "To protect
vulnerable populations, the executive order requires the medically fragile and
elderly Georgians to continue to shelter in place through June 12, 2020. Our
recommendation is for all to seek testing for personal and family contagion to
help prevent spreading this virus.
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:
Fear and Faith Healing
But the
fearful (cowards,
people who are afraid to follow Christ because of what others might say about
them or do to them),
and
unbelieving
(people who do not believe
that Jesus Christ is God Almighty, his virgin birth, His death and resurrection
and his second coming to rule the whole world with a rod of iron),
and the
abominable (people
who are uncaring and unconcerned about the wellbeing of others, who continuously
do evil to others as to cause the generation of hatred and intense dislike),
and
murderers
(people who intentionally
kill innocent people to promote themselves, because of hatred or dislike,
robbers and thieves who kill for money)
and
whoremongers
(people who engage in sexual
relationship outside of marriage with multiple sexual partners or with more than
one person who they are not married to),
and
sorcerers
(drug abusers, people who are
guided by addictive behavior, magical arts, witchcraft, demons or evil spirits
and not by the Spirit of God),
and
idolaters
(people who do not put God
first and put anyone or anything before God, their father, mother, children,
home, job, false Gods, kings and queens, political or religious leaders, etc.),
and
all liars
(people who knowingly make
untruth statements by word of mouth, on written documents, is untruthful about
paying their bills, omit things for the purpose of deception, etc.)
shall have their part in the lake of
fire which burneth with fire and brimstone.. Revelations 21:8.
That God open your understanding is our prayer that whosoever believes and obeys
might be saved.
The
conclusion of the bible reveals all those who will be lost if they do not
overcome their wicked behavior. The
natural response to this terrible ending is to respond in fear of eternal
damnation and in faith trusting the promises of God and holding all his promises
for eternal life or eternal damnation to be truth. In other word believing in
his word regardless of what other people say or do around you.
The
natural response should be to save yourself from this terrible End. In doing so
we can see that fear is a human emotion triggered or brought on by danger or
threat of bodily harm, which causes behavioral changes to protect oneself from
the lost of life or painful suffering from injury.
When
Lord Jesus sent out his disciples, he told them he was sending them in the mist
of wolves or danger. And advised them to
be wise as
serpents and harmless as doves.
MATTHEW 10:16 -28 Behold, I send you
forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and
harmless as doves. But beware of men:
for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their
synagogues; And ye shall be
brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and
the Gentiles. But when they deliver you
up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in
that same hour what ye shall speak. For
it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.
And the brother shall deliver up the
brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up
against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
And ye shall be hated of all men for my
name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
But when they persecute you in this
city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone
over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
The disciple is not above his master,
nor the servant above his lord. It is
enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord.
If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they
call them of his household? Fear
them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed;
and hid, that shall not be known. What I
tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that
preach ye upon the housetops. And fear
not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather
fear
him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
From these
scriptures we can clearly see that fear is a natural human emotion triggered to
protect oneself from bodily harm or destruction. Fear itself is not sin or lack
of faith as some misinformed individuals have said. It is then also clear that
when the outcome is known to have the possibility of leading to pain and mortal
death, the focus of protection should be on preventing the soul’s destruction in
hell. This is what our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ told his disciples to do and
left for the Church to follow. We can also see here that the issue that
threatens a person’s soul is not diseases but dishonest wicked people from all
walks of life including family members.
The same
response should normally occur to this worldwide pandemic to the coronavirus
unless someone deceives you into false hope or faith based on false promises.
Faith healing
through the laying on of hands, healing cloths, intercessory prayer,
also called supernatural healing, divine
healing, and miracle healing, is a Christian belief that God heals people
through the power of the Holy Spirit using both the natural and the supernatural
to heal, with or without medical treatment sometime described as a physical
expression of salvation. Which in many cases reveals that all healing power is
from the kingdom of Heaven.
A fulfillment of
the prophecy in Isaiah 53:5: "He took up our infirmities and carried our
diseases".
Examples of the healing power from heaven are revealed in the scriptures and is the reason we rely on God for our deliverance from disease, injury and all sickness regardless of the method he uses, with or without medical treatment.
This man believed in the power of God to heal the contagious disease of leprosy
and God responded according to his faith.
MATTHEW 8:1 - 4
When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.
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.
This man believe that Jesus could heal and cast out demons by speaking the word
only.
MATTHEW 8:5 - 13
And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion,
beseeching him, And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the
palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus
saith unto him, I will come and heal him. The
centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come
under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
For I am a man under authority, having
soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another,
Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and
said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great
faith, no, not in Israel. And I say unto
you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with
Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
But the children of the kingdom shall be
cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go
thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was
healed in the selfsame hour.
Jesus Christ healed again through the touch of his hand and casted out devils
healing all that was sick with his word only.
MATTHEW 8:14 - 17
And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother laid, and
sick of a fever. And he touched her
hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.
When the even was come, they brought
unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with
his word, and healed all that were sick: That
it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself
took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.
This should open the eyes of the whole world to see that Jesus Christ heals all
through his own will, love, and desire
and in his own time. In other word we do not earn healing through our own pious
works. And there are some questions
about healing we can never answer because God’s ways are past finding out.
ROM11:29 - 36 For
the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
For as ye in times past have not
believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Even so have these also now not
believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
For God hath concluded them all in
unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. O
the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how
unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
For who hath known the mind of the Lord?
or who hath been his counseller? Or
who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
For of him, and through him, and to him,
are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
Jesus Christ who is God Almighty answers our prayers according to his own will.
We by faith or trust in God, simply believes or holds it to be true that he can
heal us of all our sickness and disease and ask him for healing in our prayers,
believing nothing is impossible with God. We ask God for forgiveness of all our
sins because he took on flesh and blood and paid the price for our sins
fulfilling the word spoken by the Prophet Isaiah.
ISAIAH 53:1 - 11
Who hath believed our report? and to
whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? For
he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry
ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no
beauty that we should desire him. He is
despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and
we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and
carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and
afflicted. But he was wounded for our
transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace
was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we
have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity
of us all. He was oppressed, and he was
afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the
slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his
mouth. He was taken from prison and from
judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the
land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
And he made his grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any
deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the
LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an
offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the
pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his
knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their
iniquities.
This does not mean we temp God or try to boss God by demanding that he do it the
way we want it to happen, or jump off a skyscraper building, or walk in the midst
of a tornado wind storm, or deliberately put ourselves in danger to test God
calling it faith, or resist medical treatment or known cures calling it a lack
of faith because he died for our sins and we are healed by his stripes.
MATTHEW 9:11 - 13
And when the Pharisees saw it, they said
unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? But
when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a
physician, but they that are sick. But
go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I
am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Can you now see and understand that God provides salvation and healing through
his own love for mankind, it has nothing to do with those who try to boss God or
engage in religious showmanship to be seen of men. People are lost because of
sin and are saved by turning away from sin through the love of God.
Lord
Jesus heals many sicknesses in which modern medicine has no treatment plan or
cures. One example is the woman with the issue of blood for twelve years, and
who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and
was not getting better but rather grew worse. But when she spoke words of belief
and faith that “if I can touch his clothes, I will be whole”.
When she believed and she reached out to God almighty she was instantly
healed. Many times when I pray for
people I want them to say that they believe that God will heal them or state
what they believe by faith. A similar incident happened in the birth of a child
in Church when a Sister followed me out to my work van after Church and asked me
to pray. Even though I and her husband was believing God for a miracle for many
years when she took my hands and we prayer for the clearing of her tubes the
next meditative pray I saw what looked like smoke in the spirit going toward her
womb and I said after the service she has the blessing now even though the
vision was now about 14 years old and it was already foretold to be in God’s will.
Then two weeks later she informed us of her pregnancy and after about 15 years of
waiting by faith the child was born. Her faith in God had made her whole.
MARK 5:25 - 34
And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, And had
suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was
nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, When she had heard of Jesus, came
in the press behind, and touched his garment. For
she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
And straightway the fountain of her
blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.
And Jesus, immediately knowing in
himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and
said, Who touched my clothes? And
his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest
thou, Who touched me? And he
looked round about to see her that had done this thing.
But the woman fearing and trembling,
knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all
the truth. And he said unto her,
Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy
plague.
Because we are sure of God’s love and providential care about all of us, we can
now make good decisions in the face of the changes that happen throughout our
lives. In the mist of the pandemic
and epidemic whatever caused them, rain, storms, sunny days, and dark night we
cast our cares upon our creator the Lord Jesus Christ.
We know that fear is our natural emotional protector and faith in God is
our natural and spiritual guide.
And anyone who tries to twist these mental and biological responses to cause us
to make errors in judgement or bad choices is offering false hope and not
obeying the word of God. If you care
about all people, then seek their wellbeing. Just
as love is the fulfilment of the law, when we respond in the love of God, we
feel fully protected casting out all fear because he cares for us.
JAMES 5:13 - 16
Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
Is any sick among you? let him call for
the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in
the name of the Lord:
And the prayer of faith shall save the
sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall
be forgiven him. Confess your faults one
to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual
fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Let us all join with the Elders of the Church in prayer for those who are sick
and continue to ask God for forgiveness for all believers seeking eternal life
in Christ and not stirrup conflict and debate. Mark the things that cause
divisions and have no part with misguided information. The sign of the believer
is to cast out devils.
MARK 16:17 - 20
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out
devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents;
and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands
on the sick, and they shall recover. So
then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and
sat on the right hand of God. And they
went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming
the word with signs following. Amen.
Many will now see, and associate gifts of healing given by the spirit to include
many of those who work in the health care field with the Elders and praying
Saints of God. This will defeat the false information that cause people to speak
wrong about the way of truth. One of the greatest difficulties for some have
been the inability to see that God can touch and move anyone in the world with
his spirit regardless of who they are. This is why we
pray for all world leaders.
1CORINTHIANS
12:6- 11 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which
worketh all in all. But the
manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
For to one is given by the Spirit the
word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
To another faith by the same Spirit; to
another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of
miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another
divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all
these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally
as he will.
This is why we pray for all people throughout the world.
Because God can touch and move anyone. In time past, some thought that
the moving of the spirit happened only after you receive the gift of the Holy
Ghost with the sign following speaking in other tongues as the Spirit of God
gave you utterances. And while it is true that you receive the indwelling power
through the receipt of the Holy Ghost, God has moved people throughout the
dispensations through angels, prophets, visions and dreams. It would be useless
to pray for anyone if God could not touch or moved them before they come in the
Church. We would then have to wait
until
people are saved before praying for them. But the bible tells us to pray for
them which despitefully use us and persecute us.
So, continue praying for all people and especially your world leaders,
medical personnel, first responders, essential workers, and be obedient not
adding to the danger and turmoil they are already faced with,
be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
That God will give them the strength to
hold out and find eternal life and peace in his word. May the Lord Bless you and
Keep you. May he open the understanding of all of the need to repent and be
baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ and continue in pray until they receive the
gift of the Holy Ghost with the Sign following speaking in other tongues as the
Spirit of God gives them utterances.
I will always love all of you,
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.