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 gatherings 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 indoor public spaces.
· As
of July 8, 2021, the City of Atlanta, Georgia remains in Phase 4 of the
Reopening Plan.
· Social
distancing is recommended to control the spread or for individual
safety. Gatherings with face mask and social distancing are allowed.
· Covid-19
vaccinations in Georgia are offered to everyone 12 years of age and
older. Note: Pfizer is the only COVID vaccine currently approved for
children aged 12 and older.
We are continuing limited in-person services with face mask, social
distancing, and temperature checks. We are also continuing online
services through Zoom, Facebook, and YouTube. In-person Baptism and
prayer service are available by attending our local service on site,
attending our services on Zoom or emailing your request to:
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:
Men
Ought Always To Pray, And Not To Faint …! (Part 1)
Luke 18:1 - 7 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that
men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying,
There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:
And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying,
Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but
afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard
man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her
continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust
judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and
night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will
avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man
cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
During this
time of the year we are observing our
forty days of fasting and prayer which
began on First Day ( Sunday) July 4, 2021 and will end on Sixth Day (
Thursday) August 12, 2021 this year. We
will examine the strengthening of our Faith that come by fasting and
prayer in
our encouraging words during this time.
We hope that all of the Saints are able to choose a time during each day
to fast and pray. We recognize that people have many different
schedules in this modern world economy
and may chose different times based on their daily working hours. We
sincerely hope that all will make a time to devote to fasting and
prayer.
We generally start the period of our fast with a song, a
prayer and
a scripture reading from the poetic books of the bible such as Psalms,
Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, or Song of Solomon, then
we anoint our heads with blessed oil and fast during a chosen time
during each day of this period. We continue to perform our
normal daily chores or routines or work schedules and continue the day
as normal refraining from food and drink if we are in an environment
that does not rapidly dehydrate us, or
refrain from food
only if we are in a high temp environment that may produce dehydration we
may continue to drink liquids to avoid dehydration.
At the ending of our fasting period, we usually close our fast with a
song and a prayer to conclude our devotion for that day. We usually
also read a passage of scripture from the biblical books of Job, Psalms,
Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Songs. We make a genuine effort to
continue this until the conclusion of the forty days of fasting. This
continuous dedication to communication with God gives us greater
experience in the Spiritual Realm.
Fasting
and prayer is not something that you have to debate about with people or
try to prove to people because there is no gain in fasting to be seen of
men or to appear holy to other people. Fasting and prayer is about your
strength and faith in God and
your experience and communication with God Almighty.
Matthew 17:14 - 21 And when they were come to the multitude, there came
to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, Lord, have mercy
on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth
into the fire, and oft into the water. And I brought him to thy
disciples, and they could not cure him. Then Jesus answered and said, O
faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how
long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. And Jesus rebuked the
devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that
very hour. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could
not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your
unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of
mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder
place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit
this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. Matthew
17:21
Prayer is an invocation or calling on the Lord Jesus Christ who is
God Almighty by an individual or group of believers that seeks
deliberate communication and empowerment from the one and only God whom
we love and worship. Many
understand that fasting or refraining from food and drink or other
fleshly desires for a period of devotion and prayer increases their
discipline to resist fleshly lust or desires and devote themselves to
God. Prayer is also an act of supplication, making a request for help
on behalf of yourself or intercession making a request for help on
behalf of others to God for deliverance from detrimental things in a
person’s life or healing from sickness and disease. Prayer also has
the purpose of thanksgiving, praise, and worship in meditating on the
word of God.
Prayer is usually spoken in a variety of forms: it can be part of a
set liturgy or a standard of words spoken, and it can be performed alone
or in groups. Prayer may be spoken in the form of a hymn, formal
statement of beliefs, or a spontaneous unplanned utterance from the
praying person, but it must always be sincere and truth. Most of the
Apostolic Christian believers teach that prayer can be
practiced by anyone at any time usually after the manner in which the
Lord Jesus Christ taught his disciple to pray commonly called The Lord’s
Prayer by most people. We simply say call on Lord Jesus, and he will
answer your prayer. We never use prayer words for the purpose of being
seen of men through vain, useless repetition, but we give honor, thank
and praise to the Lord Jesus Christ sincerely from our heart.
Matthew 6:1 - 4 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.
Matthew 6:5 -15 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. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen
do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be
not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye
have need of, before ye ask him. After this manner therefore pray
ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom
come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day
our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is
the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. For if ye
forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive
you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your
Father forgive your trespasses.
Concerning Fasting the Lord Jesus
Christ taught us to fast after this manner:
Matthew 6:16 – 18 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a
sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear
unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But
thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou
appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and
thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
We will examine some biblical occasions of praying to God seeking a
change to a situation for the better and the results achieved as an
encouragement to all the Saints and in hope of strengthening your faith
in praying to the Lord Jesus Christ for a blessed outcome in all life
situations during this series while we fast and pray during the upcoming
weeks.
We
continue with part of a Message from Apostle S. McDowell Shelton ….
“Does Prayer Really Change Anything?” ………
Does
Prayer Really Change Anything?”
By
Bishop S. McDowell Shelton
THIS MESSAGE IS especially dedicated to the Daughters of Zion, the
officials, members, and to those of you who are reading this sermon. God
bless you as you pursue another year and that it will be filled with
answered prayers. That, I must say, is a beautiful wish: a year filled
with answered prayers.
I am certain you want your prayers answered the many prayers that
have gone up before God, to become as a memorial. You are not just
saying words to beat the air, but you want results.
We should like to put a very pertinent question before you, my dear
reader. The question is: DOES PRAYER REALLY CHANGE
ANYTHING? We are not so much concerned with the
offset, such as prayer moving a mountain or causing a limb, that is
missing, to grow. Prayer,
if you believe it at all, can do much.
Shall we just go into the matter and find out does it really do
anything at all. Can prayer heal a simple headache? Can
it just bring a few moments of peace and joy? Let
us search the Holy Record and examine the facts on the matter because at
the end, it is a fact that is included in the Bible, as we know them in
our own experiences. No
one can take an experience from you. Let us study together the
experiences of those who have used this appointed powerful weapon of
prayer and evaluate the results derived from this endeavor.
First, however, I think it is only fair to appraise the hindrances
(if there be any and I believe there are) from getting prayer answered.
First, we must ascertain if the exterior failures or ultimate "flops"
are caused by some weakness in God's ability or is man's deficiency
germane to his prayers not being answered.
1. GOD HAS ESTABLISHED AN IRREVOCABLE PROMISE
Let us go to the Bible. God has given to His people, an irrevocable
promise in:
II Chronicles
7:14: "If my people, which are called by mv name. shall humble
themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways;
then will I hear from heaven. and will forgive their sin and will heal
their land."
This is the first requirement. You must humble yourself in order to seek
His face. There is a catch in getting your prayers answered. God is
going to hear from heaven; He is going to forgive your sins.
DOES PRAYER REALLY CHANGE ANYTHING? There are some hindrances. Shall we
look at them?
1. Doubt, unbelief
2. Love of worldliness; trust in uncertain riches
3. Sin, which acts as a deterrent
4. Having ought against your brother
Doubt: "But
let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For
he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and
tossed." (James 1 :6)
When you ask God for something, you must come believing that He is able
and willing to do what you want. You do not ask God timidly but come
boldly before the Throne of Grace. You ask in faith, not wavering. You,
that have attended our Divine Healing services, might wonder why
sometimes, I ask you in meditating, during the Prayer of Faith, to get
just one thing on your mind. When you have so many things on your mind,
you cannot get anything from the Lord. In praying, you cannot be
thinking, for instance, about the dishes you forgot to wash; you cannot
be worrying about someone breaking in your front door; you cannot be
plagued by the idea that perhaps you left the gas turned on. You are
wavering from one thing to another: daydreaming.
"'For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord.
A double minded man is unstable in all his ways." (James 1: 7, 8)
An unstable person cannot get anything from the Lord.
We will continue with these messages 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
The
online service Zoom link is sent out each Sunday at or before 2:00 pm to
the Saints registered email addresses. If you wish to worship with us,
please send you email address to: info@mininstersof Jesuschrist.com and
we will email you a link to join the service. We start the zoom service
after 2:00 pm. The online zoom service
will not take place on July 4, 2021. We wish everyone a Happy
Holiday!! We will resume the on Sunday, July 11, 2021.
You
are invited to attend and be a part of the Ministers of Jesus Christ
Church Services on Zoom at/or about 2:00pm. Which are also published on
Facebook through Holy Tabernacle, Ministers of Jesus Christ Apostolic
Church, and Ministers of Jesus Christ Church or Dennis Smith
Facebook timeline. You will need to download the zoom app to your
cell phone, laptop computer, or tablet to activate your connection.
Go to Google Play Store to get your free zoom app and install it on your
cell phone, laptop computer or tablet. When you see the zoom link sent
to your email address, click or tap on the link and to open the
connection. Then click or tap on the camera and microphone icon to join
the service and select internet. We look forward to seeing you and
worshipping with you in the Lord! You may also give freewill offerings
through Givelify, Cash App, Visa, Master Card, American Express Credit
and Bank cards or PayPal. Use cash app link name
($MinistersofJesus935).
Currently the following groups are eligible for COVID vaccine in
Georgia:
Everyone
age 12 and older. Note:
Pfizer is the only COVID vaccine currently approved for children aged 12
and older. People younger than 18 years of age are not authorized to
receive either the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.
Present Guidelines for Individual and Businesses in PHASE 4
· Limited
trips outside.
· Wearing
a face mask in some indoor public facilities is a mandate.
· Frequent
hand washing.
· Continue
to practice Social distancing.
· Increased
occupancy in food and retail establishments with social distancing and
other protective measures.
· Begin
phasing in non-essential workers return to on sight working with safety
precautions including social distancing and temperature checks.
· Frequent
cleaning of public and high touch areas
· Small
gatherings with social distancing
· Some
essential and non-essential City facilities and programs may begin to
open.
· City
continues to accept special event applications subject to COVID safety
requirements
· Continue
communication with local and State authorities to monitor public health
metrics
Social Distancing guidelines:
·
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 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 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:
· 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.
·
In
all public spaces indoors and outdoors.
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.
