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.
Health
authorities are indicating that the covid-19 infection data for the City of
Atlanta, Georgia is improving. At
this present time the city remains under phase 1. When the City moves to
phase 2, we are planning to restart limited in-person services to assist us with
virtue online service at different locations wearing face covering and using
social distancing which limits small gathering of no more than 10 people with
mask and social distancing. The medically fragile are advised to continue to
shelter in place.
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:
If God Be For Us, Who can be against Us???
Romans 8:28 - 35 And we know that all things work together for good to them that
love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did
foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that
he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called,
them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
What shall we then say to these things? If God
be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but
delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all
things?
Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that
justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that
is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh
intercession for us. Who shall separate us
from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution,
or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
The Focus in the Christian believer’s life after repentance and water
baptism in the name of Jesus Christ should be the receipt of the Holy Ghost with
the sign following speaking in other tongue as the Spirit of God give you
utterances. It is in this real experience with God that you obtain the rock-hard
evidence of God working and walking with you in your life.
The Holy Ghost places you in the Body of Christ, the Holy Ghost give you the
power to overcome sin, the Holy Ghost comforts and renews your spiritual
strength daily, the Holy Ghost will change your mortal body into immortality at
the translation, the holy Ghost can never be taken away from you by any act of
any other men, the Holy Ghost is God Almighty indwelling you and giving you a
personal relationship with God, the Holy Ghost will never leave you nor forsake
you.
Can you now see that God is the Holy Ghost in the Church sanctifying, blessing,
and keeping all the Saints of God and he is the head of the Church? This is the
reason why we are not afraid of the evil from devils or man because no one can
take us out of God’s Hand.
In your darkest our when you have been rejected and betrayed by most of
your closest associates, God will be there with you and in you, keeping you in
perfect peace if you keep your mind stayed on him. This one infinite unlimited
being and person who is present everywhere and can reveal himself to you in many
different ways.
He can move someone to say the words you need to hear in a doctor’s office. I
remember after a vehicle that I was trying to start exploded with flames as I
was priming the carburetor with gasoline and burned about 12 percent of my body,
especially my arms. The explosion blew some of the gasoline on to my shirt and
the arm in which I was holding the bottle containing the gasoline. It blew out
parts of the windshield as I was sitting in the front seat of the van next to
the engine and carburetor. I Knew I had to get the remainder of gasoline away
from me to prevent my entire body from being engulfed with flames. It was
absolutely amazing and miraculous how that God protected my Body as I dropped
the Bottle of gasoline and jumped out of the vehicle. The remainder of the
vehicle then erupted in flames as I jumped out of it. The arm which I was
holding the gasoline began to burn with fire. I tried to remove my shirt, but a
force of darkness attacked and the buttons on the shirt would not open. I ran
to a nearby water spicket and tried to turn on the water, but another force of
darkness grabbed the water spicket and would not let the knob operate.
I then fell on the ground behind the vehicle and began to call on the name
of Lord Jesus, Lord Jesus. Suddenly there came a wind from the sky that sounded
like speeding traffic on a highway and blew out the flames on my arm and a
neighbor next door came running with a water hose to wet down the house and
vehicle and call the fire department. He did not see me on the ground at
all. Then his wife came running out she was a former nurse and called the
ambulance and began treatment on my wounds.
When the fire department arrived and extinguished the fire, the firemen
kept repeatedly asking me how I escaped the exploding flames because the fire
completed destroyed the entire vehicle. And when I was in the hospital for
third degree burn treatment for my arm and other parts of my body, the female
nurse who had never met me before and did not know me, turned away from me after
continuing treatment on my wounds began speaking in an odd male tone saying, “
Now you know that medicine is a part of healing.” After she spoke these words
in a seemingly deep male voice while over a hospital sink, she then turn back
around facing me and continued treating my wounds and talking in a normal female
voice.
Many Saints once said, if they saw you taking medicine, that you did not
have faith, and any lack of faith was sin. But God never left me, he saved my
life and opened my understanding of medical treatment. I have heard some of the
most foolish words from people, but God is our true Father, friend and much
more. And no one can take us out of God’s hand. So, hold to his hand, God’s
unchanging hand and build your hope on thing eternal, eternal spiritual things,
hold to God’s unchanging hand.
John 10:27 - 30 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall
any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater
than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my
Father are one.
We know that the true Christian is delivered from condemnation, the
penalty of death for the sin we committed in our lives, by virtue of our
obedience and the Holy Ghost dwelling within us establishing a union with Christ
and walking by the Spirit of God. Jesus Christ died for our sins on the cross
and forgave and remitted our sins at repentance and baptism by immersion in
water in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and filled us with the gift of the
Holy Ghost which no one can take from us.
Romans 8:1 - 6 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in
Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the
law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin
and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh,
God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned
sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in
us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are
after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the
Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be
spiritually minded is life and peace.
We Know that it is the Holy Ghost within us that leads and guides us and
will quicken or change this mortal living body or the dead body of corruption
into a glorified immortal body of eternal life. Then who really can be against
us when we have the Almighty God within us? This is the reason why we have
perfect peace in the mist of life’s trials and tribulation. Though we walk
through the valley of shadows of death we fear no evil because God is with us
and will never leave us or forsake us.
We Know that to be carnal minded, sensual minded, sexual minded, material
minded, or living only for the gain of money, expensive luxurious houses, lavish
clothing, expensive cars, multiple sexual partners etc.…is not the Spiritual
Mind but is the fleshly carnal mind which is not subject to the Law of God.
Romans 8:7 - 11 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. But ye are not in
the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now
if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if
Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life
because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from
the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken
your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
We also Know that by having the Spirit of God dwelling within us we become
the Sons of God by adoption into the family of God. We become heirs or
joint heirs with him in the glorious future Millennial Reign at the Second
Coming of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Romans 8:14 - 15 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons
of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye
have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Romans 8:16 - 17 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are
the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and
joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also
glorified together.
We Know that the Spirit of God within us is our assurance, making
intercession for us in prayer, causing all things to work together for our good,
fulfilling the purpose to bring us to eternal life. This is why the gift of the
Holy Ghost with the sign of tongue is so important to us all. You should be
able to see now why the devil and false prophets have continually attacked the
tarrying service to prevent you from achieving the ultimate objection to be the
Sons of God. When you have the Spirit of God within you and you will commune
constantly with God, and he is more than the whole wide world against you…and
nothing will ever separate you from his love!!!!
Romans 8:26 - 28 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know
not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh
intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that
searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit because he maketh
intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all
things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called
according to his purpose.
Remember the Faith of Abraham when he was willing to offer up the son of
Promise upon the Altar, but God spared Isaac and gave Abraham a ram in the Bush
instead. But he spared not Christ but offered him as a sacrifice for our sins
because he loves us.
Genesis 22:9 - 13 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and
Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his
son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his
hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the LORD called unto
him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he
said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him: for
now, I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine
only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind
him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram,
and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
Who or what shall separate us from the love of Christ? Life’s hardships,
afflictions, unfortunate experiences or mistakes, people causing trouble on
every side cannot separate us from the love of God. Despite the wars and
conflicts of Israel God never ceased his purpose and love for his people. This
is the reason I often say, “People are lost because of their individual choice
to reject God and a holy life and go through life without obedience to and
acceptance of God.”
We know that because of the indwelling Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost, the
conclusion of the matter is God's everlasting love for us and what shall
we then say to these things? If God be for
us, who can be against us?
When we experience hardship it makes us much more stronger because we never
lose a fight or a struggle, we are always victorious even if it does not look
that way in the eyes of carnal sinful people, in all these things we are more
than conquerors through him that loved us. Trials or troubles do not cut
believers off from the love of God, but actually gives us more experience and
testimonies from pressing our way through every situation good or bad.
Romans 8:35 - 39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or
sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are
accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than
conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death,
nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor
things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able
to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We continue with the message from Apostle Shelton………………He will Never Forsake
You………...
HE WILL NEVER FORSAKE YOU
By: Bishop S. McDowell Shelton
The scripture says, “….
I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5) Did
you hear what it said? I will NEVER leave thee. You may forsake the Lord and
turn to strange gods; but you are the one who will have to take the initiative
and turn from Him because, Behold! He is standing at the door and wants to come
in. He will stay there as long as you let Him. He is laying in Zion and He will
not get up until somebody arouses Him.
I will never leave; I will not forsake thee; the Lord promises us. It is very
difficult when people look at life in the wrong perspective. They look at their
disappointments and charge God foolishly. They look at how they are being
mistreated (and they feel this way, perhaps, rightly, or wrongly; be that as it
may), but this is not God forsaking you my friend. If your marriage has gone
wrong, and your home has become miserable—either the husband or the wife is no
longer faithful, no longer tender, and you have seen that life has nothing else
to hold for you—God has not forsaken you. It is your wife or your husband who
forsook you.
If your mother or father dies (and people wonder why because they have
tenderness sometimes toward their parents, their children, or whoever it may
be), one cannot look at God and say,
"Lord, you have forsaken me." He has not forsaken you because before you were
formed in the belly of your mother, the Word of God which exists perpetually
said,
"Man that is born of a woman is of a few days… (Job 14:1)
You may not have been able to read those words when you came here; yet they
were there. You were not promised too many days; so, He did not forsake you. He
kept His promise: for
“… it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement.” (Hebrews
9:27)
If you did not die, how could the scripture be fulfilled? Jesus said, " I
am the resurrection, and the life…”(John 11:25) How
could the scripture be fulfilled which states,
"For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and
remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep." (I
Thessalonians 4:15)
Oh, God has not left thee when you are on your sick bed in pain and
suffering. He has not forsaken any of those who are sick today wherever they may
be, for the scripture let us know that some of them would not accept deliverance
because they sought a better country; they sought a better place.
Hebrews 11:13-16 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but
having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and
confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say
such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had
been mindful of that country from whence, they came out, they might have had
opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an
heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath
prepared for them a city.
God has watched over you. He has forgiven you of your sins, and He stands
there ready, at the time of your death, to bless and count you worthy to
escape. Has He forsaken you? Oh, no He has not!
Deuteronomy 4:31 For the Lord thy God is a merciful God: he will not forsake
thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he
sware unto them."
He is not going to forget you. It might look like you are going to be destroyed
if you are trusting or believing in God; but Job said, "
… though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh I shall see
God:" (Job 19:26) If
I be cast into the sea, the sea shall give up its dead—and I shall see
God. (See Revelation 20:13)
A saint, a believer: one who is, baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, and
has the gift of the Holy Ghost, can never be totally destroyed. Do not ever
believe that you can be because when you sleep, there is that life-giving
quality, that life-giving seed that you have inside you. If man cannot find you
with a microscope, that living quality of God is going to bring you back.
The skeptic says, "Impossible." You can say, ' 'Impossible", yet I have the
assurance that God will never forsake us. He will never leave us.
Things may be going wrong with you on your job; you may lose it, but do not
say God forsook you. Be honest with God. Look back on the situation and be fair
with Him because He has been more than fair with you. If you have lost your
home, sit, and think over the matter. Ask yourself, "Did I, in the first place,
reach out for an expensive home that was beyond my means." You forsook yourself
when you overstretched your budget. Maybe you were tied up in your earthly
possessions, so to save you, God let you lose it.
(Mark 8:36) " For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole and his
lose his own soul?"
Did you fail in business? Did God forsake you? No, He did not! I think you
should look back on your business practices and examine how you operated them.
Ask yourself, "Did I have my business organized right? Did I estimate my jobs
right? Did I finish jobs quickly and proficiently enough so that I could help
others to get more income? Was my bookkeeping system, right? Did I purchase my
materials right?
You see, the Bible tells you to be not slothful in business.
Romans 12:11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
So, if you have disobeyed the scripture by unskillful work in your
business, God did not forsake you. You just did not use your capacity to its
fullest potential. Oh, do not tell me that God forsook you. He did not forsake
David. He did not forsake Joshua. He did not forsake Moses; He let him view the
promised land. Even though Moses was not permitted to enter into Canaan, God did
not forsake him for God buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, and no man
knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day. (See
Deuteronomy 34th chapter)
The next time when you indulge in the luxury of self-pity and sit down and cry
the blues (All of us do that at some the time or other. It makes us feel a
little better. It looks as if nobody else will feel sorry for us, so we sit down
and feel sorry for ourselves).
God has not forsaken you. Even then, He has not forsaken you because the
scripture says,
"Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me?
Hope thou in the Lord for I shall yet praise him.” Psalms 42:11)
God does not forsake the sinner when he comes and is in baptized in water
in the name of Jesus Christ by total immersion. God says, "You did what the Word
said: You repented and was baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. I am not going
to forsake you. I am going to remit your sins," He does not forsake the seekers
when they are tarrying for the Holy Ghost after they are baptized. The seeker,
the baptized believer, if you call diligently upon the Lord, you will speak with
other tongues as the Spirit gives you utterance. But He did not forsake you, you
forsook tarrying.
"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content such things as
ye have… (Hebrews 13:5)
In other words, don't let your conversation be one of jealousy and wanting so
much. Wanting beyond your scope of operation. Many people see themselves as
great giants in a business world. Others see themselves as great singers in
opera or as great soloists. But my dear, there are times when you must content
yourself to be just a member in the choir because you do not have a voice to
sing a solo. You must realize both your assets and your liabilities.
The little short fellow, no matter how much he likes to play basketball, should
content himself with another sport. It would be better if he would convert his
desires for sports to something like golf or bowling: not even golf because he
cannot swing back far enough. When bowling, the short fellow is down there with
the bowling ball so he can just push it in. Do not worry about envying the tall
fellow who can just about reach up and put the ball into the basket; he has his
problems, also. You will find that in most cases he is very self-conscious from
his youth up, as he walked down the street, the people stared at his feet and
began to look up. Whenever there was a group, he always towered above the
crowd. He could always be singled out in class. He felt awkward with his long
legs until he could learn how to maneuver them. He always had to wear shirts a
little short because he could not find them long enough for his arms. Sometimes
he has anxieties about being so tall. He might look at the little fellow and
say, "I wish I were a little more like you," and the little fellow is envying
him he is so tall.
The thin person looks at one a little plump and says, "My! They look so
healthy." The plump one looks at the thin one and says, "My! They look so thin
and neat." The old looks at the young and says, They're still coming along and
have their life before While the young looks at the old and says, "They know
where they are going. They have already made their mark-in life." You see, youth
feels so unsure about where they are going.
So, let your conversation be without covetousness. Let it within the scope of
reality. In other words, if you have a regular, everyday salary, do not try to
have a Rockefeller's mind. If you have a Ford's salary, stop holding a Lincoln
conversation—you will be much happier. You will be much happier if you would
learn to thank God for the things that are in your home already, than to sit
home and grieve; being envious because you have gone out to work and have seen
all kinds of fine china and silverware. Learn to appreciate and prize what you
do have.
Look about you, whatever it is, as long as it is yours and it's honest, say '
'It is good
—and very good. I have never been of the opinion to place value on things
saying they are so good. If they do not serve the purpose, then they are no good
no matter how beautiful they may be. Remember this:
Everything which has a value—silver, gold, what have you—is only valuable
because human beings have placed a value on that particular commodity. Every
country does not use gold as its precious stone. Some countries use grass mats
and others use seashells as a means of exchange: for them, this is the thing of
value. Gold could be flowing all around the place and they would not be
interested. Things of value is a state of mind: for
as a man thinkest in his heart, so is he. (See Proverbs 23:7)
If you think poor, you are poor! Yes, you are! 'For
the Lord will not forsake his people for his great names sake: because it hath
pleased the Lord to make you his people." -(1 Samuel 12:22)
Do not forget that God has been pleased. He was not forced to make you his
people; therefore, it is no strain for Him to Stand by you. It is YOU who
forsake God when you go away from the Word. Where is His glory if you receive
good at His hands always? Will you receive only good and not evil? How can He
trust you? How can He know that you really love Him and want Him for His sake
and not for the things which He can do for you? He tries you by adversity to
see if you will continue.
"And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people
Israel." (I Kings 6:13)
Isaiah picks up the chorus in Isaiah 41 and says, "When the poor and needy seek
water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will
hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them."
God knows when you are thirsty. He knows when you are hungry. He knows when you
are troubled and when you are brokenhearted. He knows when you are
misunderstood; when you are not loved, when you are hated. God has a way of
compensating everyone for whatever you are lacking in one area; usually, you
will have some kind of asset in some other area.
"And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew net; I will lead them in
paths that they have not known I will make darkness— light before them, and
crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake
them." (Isaiah 42:16)
Even if you cannot see, just take my hand and I will guide you. Trust in me and
do good; I will lead you. Yea, I will lead you all the way from earth into
everlasting life. When things look dark say to yourself, "Jesus is here. He has
not forsaken me. I may not be able to see Him because my misery has blocked my
feeling him—but he is here. I know by His word that He cannot lie. Perhaps,
tomorrow morning or maybe the next hour when this shadow is past, I will be able
to feel His sweet presence. I know now by faith that He is here. I can feel
after Him and touch the hem of his garments.
" For the Word of God says, weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in
the morning" (Psalms 30:5)
If your enemy seems to be triumphant over you and wrong seems to be prevailing
on every hand, there is coming a time—and it will not be long—that every crooked
thing is going to be straightened out. Oh! Let the tares grow on with the
wheat—but harvest time is coming, for it is written, Vengeance
is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." (Romans 12:19), “....
These things will I do unto than, and not forsake them." (Isaiah 42:16)
Keep this assurance. Perhaps, we might have to speak on it again to reassure
you: for we have not finished nor are we forsaking this message, but time bids
us away. Maybe the Spirit might allow me to pass this way again for I could do
nothing without Him, but all things through Him.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
God might be merciful and let me bear this message and say to you another time
that "He will not forsake you. Oh, He will
never leave you." He, indeed, did have the man declare and leave on
record,
"I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken,
nor his begging brad." (Psalms 37:.25)
If mother or father forsake you, God is going to take you up. To the
brokenhearted, He promised to bind up that broken heart. If you have not
received your healing on this side of eternal life, there is coming a time where
there will be no one lame: no feeble, no more sorrow, and no more dying, no more
aging and deteriorating. Beloved, God has not forsaken you. There is always a
reason why things happen the way they do. If you would have held on a little
longer, who knows, your blessing might have been the very next day. But you felt
God forsook you, so you forsook God.
Remember He said, "I will NEVER leave thee,
nor forsake thee.
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: August 30,
2020
· One
of the essential workers from our local Church has tested positive for Covid-19
which he acquired on the job, but since we have continually practiced the
recommendations of the health authorities no one else has been affected thus
far. Many Churches may find it difficult to monitor this spreading virus if the
people around them are not obeying the recommendations and getting a test to
assure of their status. This may become much more difficult with the confusing
information coming from some governmental officials about when to get tested.
· A
church in Athens Alabama had to closed after several church members tested
positive for COVID-19. They do not know how many members are affected but are
reporting that a large majority of members are testing positive for the virus.
In the meantime, the church is offering live-stream services.
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.
Present Guidelines for Individuals and Businesses in Phase 2:
· Small,
private gatherings of no more than 10 people, with social distancing