Ministers of Jesus Christ Church

Date: August 1, 2021

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 29, 2021, the City of Atlanta, Georgia has rolled back to Phase 3 of the Reopening Plan due to the increasing spread of Covid-19.

· Social distancing and wearing mask is a mandate in most indoor public spaces to control the spread of Covid-19 or for individual safety. Small 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, temperature checks and in-house Covid-19 testing. 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, or attending our services on Zoom or emailing your request to:

info@ministersofjesuschrist.com or prayerrequest@ministersofjesuschrist.com.

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 4) (Forty Day Fast)

By Apostle Dennis G. Smith

Prayer is the known method by which all Apostolic Christian Believers communicate with God, by which we present our request or partition to God for help and by which we obtain the blessings and empowerments that He gives to us. We obtain the gift of the Holy Ghost through our belief and prayers to God Almighty. We then must first come to understand that anything dedicated to God cannot be given to people who reject God and who have no intentions of living a life without sin. We must come to realize that there are people who have chosen a sinful lifestyle, and do not want to change. It is these types of people who take prayer as a thing to play with, who have no serious communication with God Almighty.

Matthew 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

Therefore it is a complete waste of time to speak to those who reject the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ about salvation or prayer for they are eternally lost. And when you try to change them, they will turn on you and seek to make fun of you or in some cases actually do you harm. This is the reason why we preach the word to all creatures and let them come on their own, and make their own choice or decision when we ask the question, “Is there anyone who would like to repent of their sins and be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ?” We do this because we know God will answer and reward all those that ask Him and diligently seek Him. And those who reject the call is eternally lost.

Matthew 7:7 - 12 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

But for those of us who believe that God is real and everywhere present around us, who hold it to be truth that he created all things and is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him, we know to ask him for mercy, forgiveness, and daily provision. We also know to look for answers to our request and continue to grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by studying and reading his word and seeking out greater blessings. And Because we believe, we knock at his door continually all the days of our life because we come to know that he will open his door to us and let us in to communicate with him and give us the Holy Ghost, eternal life, and many other blessings.

Luke 11:9 – 13 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? L Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

By Faith and Prayer miracles of healing from diseases occurred….

Matthew 9:20 – 22 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.

When the scorners were removed, the Lord Jesus raised the dead….

Matthew 9:23 – 26 And when Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose. And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.

By Faith the Blind men received their sight….

Matthew 9:27 – 30 And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us. And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.

The lack of blessings in life can result from a failure to pray….or prayers that are outside of the will of God for lustful pleasures...

James 4:2 - 3 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

The Blessings that Apostolic Christians receive are brought about because we believe and obey all that the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who is God Almighty has commanded!!!

Mark 16:16 - 19 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 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 the Lord Jesus Christ gave commandments to his disciples which we continue in doing his will among all nations and praying without ceasing…

Matthew 10:7- 8 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

The Apostle Paul instructed or teaches us to always continue to pray!!!!

1Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.

We continue with part of a Message from Apostle S. McDowell Shelton …. “Does Prayer Really Change Anything?” ………

Does Prayer Really Change Anything?” (part 4)

By Bishop S. McDowell Shelton

6. PETER: Prayer is a deliverer in time of trouble. Let us study Peter, who was an apostle to the Jews. Does he have the testimony of prayer changing anything for him? I feel that he does because he was in prison and prayer brought him out. Here Peter did not have to use any devices such as files, chisels, or shovels to bring him out. Evidently, it must have sufficed Peter because the church prayed for him.

Acts 12:7- 10 And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision. When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him.

After a certain hour in the eastern cities, they had iron gates which were closed. If you happened to come to the city after they were closed, you had to sleep outside of the gates until the morning watchman came. You also had to have a password to get into the city. Yet, when Peter and the angel came to the gate, it opened of its own accord. That is why Peter has the testimony of being delivered out of difficulty. The angel had left Peter on his own now and he had to make it for himself.

Acts 12:11 – 13 And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying. And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda.

When you are praying and trusting in the Lord, do not try to get a logical answer; do not try to get something that sounds sensible to the natural mind, because the carnal mind is not subject to the law of God.

Romans 8:7- 8 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

Peter thought he was seeing a vision. Just think of it! An angel leading, and you arriving at a big iron gate, and it opens of its own accord! Rhoda, the damsel, was so excited that she did not open the door for Peter after she saw and heard him knocking. She ran to tell the others and they like most people, implied, "Who said that? Rhoda! Oh, she would say anything. Peter is in jail, and you are talking about him standing at the gate! You're crazy, girl!" Yet, they were in the room praying for Peter's deliverance from jail. When you come to God, you must first believe that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. No matter what they said to Rhoda, she confirmed that Peter was at the door of the gate. They thought it was Peter's spirit. You see, these people still did not have everything preached out of them. They were somewhat superstitious. Yet, while they were talking, Peter kept knocking.

Acts 12:16 But Peter continued knocking and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.

If you will notice the scripture, it does not say whether or not they opened the door immediately. It just says "when" they had opened the door, they saw Peter and was astonished. "And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me." (Psalms 50:15) Read the 12^th chapter of Acts.

7. THE POOR MAN: “This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles." (Psalms 34:6) Here the Bible shows us that prayer does something for a poor man. Not often anything good happens to a poor man. When it seems as though no one on earth cares: when your situation is at its worst; when your calamity seems to be deepening, remember this: This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him. He was delivered out of all his troubles. It is wonderful to be trouble-free! CAN PRAYER REALLY CHANGE ANYTHING?

We will continue with these messages in part 5……….

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.

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 3: MAINTAIN (GREEN ZONE)

· Limited trips outside; vulnerable populations should continue to stay home

· Wearing a face mask in indoor public spaces is a mandate

· Frequent hand washing

· Social distancing

· Limited occupancy in food and retail establishments to accommodate social distancing

· Continue practicing teleworking where feasible.

· Frequent cleaning of public and high touch areas

· Small gatherings with social distancing

· Non-essential City facilities remain closed to the public

· 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.