Georgia District News Spring 2013
Volume 12, Number 2
Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ
The Grand Theatre of Ephesus
Georgia District A.L.J.C. Nathan Carrell Superintendent 120 Oak Ridge Monroe, GA 30655 Donald Wineinger Assistant Superintendent 1174 Elberton Road Lexington, GA 30648 Barry Dotson Secretary 580 Butterfly Lane, Blairsville, GA 30512 Jeremy Causey World Missions Director 70 Carters Way Forsyth, GA 31029 Ashley Vaughn Missions America Director 1211 Experiment Station Rd. Watkinsville, GA 30677 Jason Hagwood Apostolic Crusaders President 1732 Barnett Shoals Rd. Watkinsville, GA 30677 Blake Smith MENistry President 11 Lauri Lane Crawford, GA 30630 Sandra Wineinger Women’s Esprit President 1174 Elberton Road Lexington, GA 30648 Deadline for submission of articles for next issue of Georgia District News is July 2, 2013 Please email your articles to news@georgiaprinters.com.
From The Superintendent I hope that I don’t bore you with this month’s article, but Sis. Carrell and I are celebrating forty years of pastoral ministry this month. So, please allow me to reminisce on a personal level. April 1, 1973 was our first Sunday as pastor of the Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ in Carlsbad, New Mexico. In January of 1973, I had seen a plea by a little group of people in Carlsbad desiring a preacher to come and start an Apostolic church. For the next couple of months every time that I prayed this plea came before me. After consulting with my pastor, I wrote a letter to these people. I came to find out that this group of people were three in number. In March of 1973, Sis. Carrell and I and our twenty month old child went to Carlsbad to see if it was the will of the Lord to go there and start a church. When we arrived there were a few more people who were having prayer meetings with the three original ones. We preached two nights and talked to the little group of people about our pastoral philosophy and our beliefs. They were in agreement and asked us to come and be their pastor. We felt it was the will of God and decided to go. So, a twenty-four year old young man, his wife who was seven months expectant with their second child and their twenty-month old girl returned to Mississippi, sold their mobile home, packed their possessions in the smallest U-Haul truck available, and two weeks later moved 1,000 miles to follow the will of the Lord. From that meager beginning God blessed and we were able to raise up a church that reached for the souls of Carlsbad. We bought the building that we were renting and worshipped there for four years, when we moved into a new building in a different location. God blessed us with the privilege of pastoring some of the greatest people in the world for sixteen years. In early 1989, I felt that my time in Carlsbad was over. The next week I received a call from Monroe asking me if I would consider coming to Monroe to pastor the church. My reply was that I would pray about it, come and preach to and meet with the people to explore the will of God for my life. In April of 1973, the church voted for us to come and pastor them and we felt it was the will of God to do so. So, in May of 1973, we packed our possessions in the largest U-Haul truck available, loaded our three teenage daughters into our autos and made the 1300 mile trip to Monroe. For the past twenty-four years we have tried to pastor this great group of people. As I look back on these forty years of endeavoring to do the will of God in pastoring these two great groups of saints of God, I marvel at the hand of God in our lives and His abundant blessings on our efforts to do His will. Certainly, there have been difficult times but the Lord has always been there to see us through every situation and provide every need. He has supplied every spiritual need, every physical need, every family need and every financial need both for our family and for the two church families that we have served. Many of those that we have served have gone on to meet their reward. We have been saddened by those who failed to hold out faithful to the end. But we have been gloriously blessed by those who have remained faithful to their God and will hear Him say well done at the end of the journey. Sis. Carrell and I have been blessed to be able to serve these two great church families. Without their cooperation and support we could have accomplished nothing. God has blessed us with three beautiful daughters, their husbands and ten wonderful grandchildren. On May 17, 2013, we will be celebrating our 40th Pastoral Anniversary here at Monroe Apostolic Church. Our guest speaker will be Pastor Tony Carson of LaFayette, Indiana. The Carsons were preaching for Bro. Samuel Hurst at Rex, Georgia in 1967 when Sis. Carrell received the Holy Ghost and was baptized in the lovely name of Jesus Christ. We hope that all of you can come and celebrate with us this milestone in our ministry. Bro. Nathan Carrell
Georgia District News is published quarterly and depends on Georgia District Churches to submit news events and articles. All articles must be submitted to the contact in your local church. Georgia District News reserves the right to edit articles for grammar and space. For advertising rates and information call 800-828-0093 or Email - news@georgiaprinters.com
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Georgia District News
The Church at Ephesus The book of Revelation is the last book in the New Testament. In the opening chapter of Revelation, John sends his greetings and then describes a vision that he received from God, while exiled on the isle called Patmos. “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last: and, what thou seest, write in a book,and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.” (Revelation 1:10-11)
for their steadfastness against false apostles for their hatred of the deeds of the Nicolaitans The past history of the Ephesian church had been one of labor. The Greek word denotes labor to the point of exhaustion. The Ephesians were diligent workers for the cause of Christ. Being the first church in the area, they had led the way doing many things that helped promote the establishment of the gospel in Asia. Secondly, the Lord commended the Ephesian
Although John was responsible for writing the message and sending it to the seven churches in Asia Minor (Turkey) to be read, those messages are still applicable to the church today. As we study the letter to each church in subsequent Georgia District News magazines (Lord willing), we will discover that those churches faced some of the same problems and temptations as we do today.
“Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” (Revelation 2:5) God did not merely condemn the Ephesian church for their spiritual malaise. But, he gave them instructions to correct their condition.
Last month, I, along with several other Apostolic pastors, was privileged to visit the ruins of all seven churches in the country of Turkey. On Sunday, March 24, 2013, we visited Ephesus, which is the first church that John addressed in Revelation 2.
church for their patient endurance of persecution for the name of Jesus Christ. Like the other In New Testament times, Ephesus was a churches of the region, Ephesus had suffered prosperous harbor town of about 250,000 people persecution from the Romans. But, even though that was located on the west coast of Asia Minor. they had faced persecution, the Ephesian church Because of its location, Ephesus became the remained faithful to God. capital city of the Roman province of Asia. Another praiseworthy aspect of the church But, Ephesus was most famous as the center at Ephesus was their refusal to tolerate evil men. of a vile and licentious worship of the goddess They held to a high, holy standard of behavior and Artemis, also called Diana (Acts 19:27,35). A huge were sensitive to sin. temple dedicated to her worship was erected, The Ephesian church also exposed those which has since been called one of the seven who were false apostles. Because Ephesus lay wonders of the ancient world. Further, the sale of on the great highway of the world during New the items used in the worship of Artemis provided Testament times, it was visited by many Christian an important source of income for the city (Acts travelers. Especially those who were traveling to 19:24). It was here that the Apostle Paul was nearly and from Rome for the most part passed through torn to pieces in a riot caused by his preaching Ephesus. Among those many travelers, who came against this evil (Acts 19:23-41). to Ephesus, many claimed to be apostles. But, Nevertheless, assembled in the midst of such the Ephesian church tested them all and when pagan idolatry, which characterized Ephesus, was they were found to be false, they unhesitatingly a faithful group of Christians. It was to them that rejected them. John wrote the first of the seven letters. “I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted… But this thou hast ,that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.” (Revelation 2:2-3,6) In these verses, the church at Ephesus received the following five major compliments from the Lord: for their hard work (labor) for their endurance (patience) for their refusal to tolerate evil men
intense enthusiasm, which had characterized t h e yo u n g Ep h e s i a n church in the beginning, was now gone. The honeymoon was over in Ephesus. Oh yes, they were still going through all the right motions. Pastor Nathan Cash But, their work had just become merely mechanical. In essence, they didn’t love God like they once loved him in the past.
F i n a l l y, t h e E p h e s i a n c h u r c h w a s complimented for their rejection of the deeds of the Nicolaitans. Who are the Nicolaitans? The Nicolaitans cannot be clearly identified. But, although the exact identity of this group is not known, the character of this movement led people into immorality and wickedness. However, the Ephesian church rejected the deeds of the Nicolaitans and for this, the Lord commended them.
First, they had to remember from whence they had fallen. Even though the church at Ephesus had been baptized in Jesus’ name (Acts 19:5) and filled with the Holy Ghost (Acts 19:6), when they left their first love, it had resulted in them falling from their position with God. Secondly, they had to repent. That is to say, they had to change from their present course and go in the opposite direction spiritually. Finally, they had to do their first works. In other words, to demonstrate the genuineness of their repentance, they had to do something about the condition that they were in and return to their original deeds. If they failed to take these corrective measures, then it didn’t matter what all they had done in the past, judgment would occur, therefore resulting in the ending of the Ephesian church. “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit saith unto the churches; to him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” (Revelation 2:7) Here God promised the overcomers at Ephesus that they would eat from the tree of life, a tree with supernatural qualities that had been available to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. According to Genesis 3:22, the tree’s fruit would allow one to live forever. Basically, the tree of life symbolized eternal life, which would serve as a promise to those who overcame.
The example derived from the Ephesian church demonstrates the possibility of becoming “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, so busy with works, programs, fighting faults and because thou hast left thy first love.” heresies that ones true love for God becomes (Revelation 2:4) diminished. As we go through this life, let us Despite all the positive attributes of the always guard our hearts, lest we succumb to the Ephesian church, they had developed one major fatal flaw that the church at Ephesus succumbed flaw. They had left their first love. The exciting to and fall from our position with God.
Georgia District News
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A Pleasing Testimony
By:Donna Woodell
As Christians, we must put our faith and trust in God. God is pleased when we take Him at His Word and place our full confidence in Him alone. Hebrews 11:5 tells us: 5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. Enoch is the first example that we are given of a person that had a testimony that pleased God.
On Saturday, January 2, 2010, Sis. Ramey was diagnosed with Cancer. For the two years of her battle with cancer, she consistently testified and claimed her healing. Even up to the weekend of her death, she could be heard saying “Thank you Jesus for my healing”. During the numerous times she was in and out of the hospital and dealing with the effects of the chemo in her body, she remained faithful to God and would show up at church on a Wednesday
At Monroe Apostolic Church, we were blessed to have witnessed the testimony that Sis. Lawanda Ramey lived before us up until her very last breath when she went home to be with the Lord on Sunday, December 16, 2012. Her unwavering faith in God and the positive and loving attitude that Sis. Ramey displayed to everyone around her was truly inspiring.
night even if she had just been released from the hospital. It was amazing and inspiring to watch the life she lived throughout her illness. S i s. R a m e y h a d a strong love for her family. She dearly loved her
Lawanda Gail Holcomb Ramey married Robert Jack Ramey on July 4, 1968. Even though she was only 15 years old when she married, she remained Bro. Jack’s faithful companion for almost 45 years. Certainly, the test of love was passed as their marriage survived the odds of their young age.
daughters and their families. Some of her last words were “I want to live until June to see Brittany (her oldest granddaughter) married. But if that is not God’s will for me, then
Her faith was like that of Enoch’s. It pleased God. Just like her love was tested, her faith was also tested. She started attending Monroe Church of the Lord Jesus Christ on the third Sunday of October, 1976. She was a young mother of three girls and was expecting her fourth child. Her church attendance was one of faithfulness. There were very few times that she missed being at church. On January 7, 1977 her fourth child was born. However, this new baby girl only lived seven hours. But Sis. Ramey did not allow this tremendous loss to cause her to lose her test of faith. Only one absence is recorded in her church attendance during this period. Then just a couple of weeks later on a cool and cloudy day, January 23, 1977 she was baptized in the precious name of Jesus Christ for the remissions of her sins. Shortly thereafter, she received the baptism of the Holy Ghost evidenced by speaking in other tongues. Her walk with God was one of faith. When she became pregnant with her fifth child, her doctor advised her to have an abortion because the baby would be born with Down’s Syndrome or would be severely mentally retarded if it even survived. Sis. Ramey refused to have the abortion and decided to trust God. A few months later, their miracle daughter was born and God rewarded her faith.
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light a candle for me.” Her greatest desire was for her family and friends to obey the gospel and receive the same great salvation experience that she had. Enoch had a testimony and a reputation that spoke volumes: “for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” I may not have had the opportunity to meet Enoch. However, I did have the opportunity to meet Lawanda Ramey. Seeing her life gave me an example of what it really means to be faithful and to trust God in all things. I believe that she left this life with a pleasing testimony and she wanted those around her to know that they could have that same peace that she did. We still miss seeing her in that empty seat on the eighth pew at Monroe Apostolic Church. However, I can’t help but smile when I think about where she is now and that her healing did finally come.
Georgia District News
Things to Consider rt 2 By: I.B. Bigg of Bigg Britches Ministries
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The early bird gets the worm but the second mouse gets the cheese.
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Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt!
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War does not determine who is right; it only determines who is left!
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When in doubt, mumble.
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Worrying does work! 90% of what we worry about never happens!
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I used to be indecisive, but now I’m not sure.
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3 out of 4 people make up 75% of the earth’s population.
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What disease did “cured” ham have?
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Why do we spend money to go to the top of a tall building just to put more money in binoculars and look at what is on the ground?
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Hospitality is the ability to make your guest feel at home even if you wish they really were home!
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Light travels faster than sound. That’s why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
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Always borrow money from a pessimist; they don’t expect it back!
Pa
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Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad
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A computer once beat me at chess but it was no match for me at kickboxing!
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Why do Americans have two people to choose a President from and fifty to choose Miss America from?
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Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car!
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Is a butler with no teeth an “In-Dentured” servant?
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Marrage is like poker; it starts with a pair and ends with a full house.
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No matter where you are; there you go.
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And last but not least; DIAPER spelled backward is REPAID! Think about it…
Proverbs 17:22 says, "A merry heart does good like a medicine" Bro. I.B. Bigg
Birthdays
May Missionary Jordan Stumbo ................................................5/8 Bro. Charles Manders (In Memory)................................5/15 Bro. Jeremy Causey .............................................................5/19 Bro. Tim Hammond..............................................................5/19 Bro. Hugh Crowe...................................................................5/23 Bro. Raymond Wooddell.....................................................5/24 Bro. Ashley Vaughn .............................................................5/26 June Missionary Rick Barnett.........................................................6/1 Missionary Gary Edmonds...................................................6/3 Bro. Barry Dotson ....................................................................6/5 Missionary James Rennard ..............................................6/11 Bro. Richard Cannon ...........................................................6/16 Bro. Tommy Baker ................................................................6/30 July Bro. Samuel Hurst (In Memory).....................................7/3 Bro. Gary Livingston................................................................7/9 Bro. Terry Newsome.............................................................7/24 If you would like to have your church events included on the calendar, please email them to news@georgiaprinters.com by the deadline listed on page 2.
Georgia District News
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Looking Back Spring Spring 2003 2003 Spring 2003 By Bobby G. Miller, Jr. Editor
It is evident from the church reports in this issue, that the Georgia District churches were blessed, in early 2003, by the ministry of two A.L.J.C. Evangelists; Bro. & Sis. Jeremy Carver and Bro. & Sis. Kevin Hopkins.
This year’s Georgia District Ladies’ Retreat was held at Crawford Pentecostal Church, February 28 March 1. One hundred ladies from all over the district were blessed with sp ecial singing, classes, entertainment, a delicious lunch and wonderful messages from featured guest, Sis. Connie Sheppard, as this year’s theme, “Women of Grace” was carried out in various ways.
A Youth Rally was held January 25, 2003, in Winder. Bro. & Sis. Jeremy Carver blessed us:. Sis. Carver with her singing and Bro. Carver ministered to the youth and adults in his sermon, “When God Makes An Amendment.”
On Wednesday morning March 5, 2003 at about 6:45 AM, the Lord called Rev. O.J. Nash home, he had finished the race, fought the good fight, and was a shiny example of a dedicated man of God. His life was given to the calling that the Lord put into him as a young man. He received the Holy Ghost at 13 years old at Three Pines United Pentecostal Church in Deridder, LA and preached the Gospel for 50 years. He preached his last service in Winder just a few weeks ago, one week after coming out of the hospital after suffering a heart attack and the installation of a defibrillator. Elder Nash would never allow his physical problems to slow his work for the Lord.
The Monroe Church of the Lord Jesus Christ was presented with a plaque and a trophy for the largest district Talents offering for 2002. Bro. Nathan Carrell, the Evangelist Department Director, presented Bro. Stacy Thomas with a plaque in recognition of his faithful service to the Evangelist’s Department. Samuel Connor Thomas was born January 27, 2003. Proud parents were Bro. and Sis. Stacy Thomas. Helena Apostolic Church of the Lord Jesus Christ celebrated their 50th Anniversary on February 9, 2003. Sis. Vivian Strom, founder of the church, was in attendance for the service.
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Georgia District News
Seven Churches of Revelation Pastor Nathan Cash
3 1 0
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Miletus, Turkey
Weis Church, Germany
r u To
Hierapolis, Turkey
On Tuesday, March 19, 2013, I, along with several other Apostolic Pastors, flew out of Houston, Texas aboard a Lufthansa (German) Airbus headed for Izmir, Turkey. Six days later we flew into Munich, Germany and spent a few days in Germany before returning to the states on Friday, March 29, 2013.
On Sunday, March 24, 2013, one of the places that we visited in Turkey was the city of Miletus. The Apostle Paul waited in Miletus for the messengers to return with the elders of Ephesus (Acts 20:15). His message to them was one of warning of false teachers and grievous wolves (Acts 20:29) coming among them to destroy. When the disciple Trophimus became ill, the Apostle Paul left him in Miletus to recover (2 Timothy 4:20).
While in the country of Turkey, Royal Palace of Herrenchiemsee, Germany we visited the ruins of the seven churches of Revelation – Ephesus, On Tuesday, March 26, 2013, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, we drove in the snow from our Philadelphia and Laodicea. In future publications, of the Georgia District hotel in Oberammergau, Germany and visited King Ludwig II world News Magazine, my writing focus will be dedicated to each of those famous “Fairytale Castle” Neuschwanstein Castle. We also visited the individual churches. In addition, I will be submitting photos to create a Hohenschwangau Castle and the Wies Church. On Wednesday, March 27, 2013, we visited the Linderhof Palace. better visualization of the events. It is located in the seclusion of the Ammer Mountains and was the In contrast, throughout this particular trip summary, I would like to monarch’s favorite residence. mention some of the other places that we visited and share some of On Thursday, March 28, 2013, at Prien, Germany, we boarded a lake those photos with you. steamer for a short boat ride to Scloss Herrenchiemsee, the grandest On Friday, March 22, 2013, one of the places that we visited in Turkey palace built by King Ludwig II. This island, which the palace was constructed on, is in the middle of Lake Chiemsee. It is the German was Hierapolis. This city is located just a few miles north of Laodicea in version of the Palace of Versailles in France. the Lycus Valley. During the Roman period, people came from far and On Friday, March 29, 2013, we boarded a jet in Munich, Germany wide to bathe in the rich mineral waters of Hierapolis with the desired and flew to Frankfurt, Germany. From there, we boarded Lufthansa hope of healing their various ailments. Hierapolis is mentioned one time (German) Airbus and headed back to Houston, Texas to warmer in the Bible (Colossians 4:12-13). climates!!!
Georgia District News
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Known by his Gait Jeremy Causey I came across two interesting verses in my reading recently. And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman called unto the porter, and said, Behold another man running alone. And the king said, He also bringeth tidings. And the watchman said, Me thinketh the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings. (2 Samuel 18:26-27) If you’re a Bible reader you know that this is the ending of the story of Absalom’s life. The messages that David was about to receive would bring him much grief; his enemy had been defeated but his enemy was his own son. However, my attention was drawn to the words of the watchman: he recognized him by the way he ran. I wonder what was so distinct about the way that he ran that gave away his identity to the watchman? Was it because he was running so fast or so slow? Was he bow-legged or did he look silly? Do you run funny? The Bible doesn’t give us any insight as to how or why Ahimaaz’s running gait was such a giveaway; we just know that it was.
heart but others often have good insight into what’s in there from the way we live before them. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. (Matthew 7:20) The life that we live before men should be impeccable. We must have an excellent spirit. We must walk with clean hands and the clean heart that produces it. Why? Because they will know us by our gait. They will see you and say “he is a good man, and cometh with good tidings.” This June we will be blessed to have Rev. Rick Barnett, missionary to Papua New Guinea, with us in our district. Who is he? He is a man we know. He is a man of God with a proven track record. He is a soldier of the cross that has taken himself and his family to a land across the sea to further the work of the Kingdom of God. He is a good man that comes with good news! Please be in prayer as his deputation brings him to our churches. Ask God to help you join him in prayer, in faith, and in giving to save souls!
What is significant to me is that in reality we are oft recognized by the way we run as well. Do we pursue hard after God or do we treat our relationship with Him like a leisurely stroll? Are we passionate or lackadaisical? Do we walk into church with our hands raised or firmly planted in our pockets? God may be the only one that truly knows our
Georgia District Women’s Esprit We are entering into the beautiful season of Spring; new life springing for th. It is amazing to watch the trees and flowers bringing forth new life once again.
body. We all needed that. Sis. Amanda Shanks talked to us about having an organized and healthy home. Sis. Bethany Miller showed us different ways to tie scarves. Sis. Amber Smith gave us some tips on how to be a thrifty shopper. Sis. Patty Brisco gave us some home remedies and decorating ideas.
Just want to say what a good time we had at our WE Ladies Conference at Crawford Pentecostal Church. Our theme this year was Divinely Designed. Psalms 139:14 “For I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
Of course we Apostolics have to eat. We had a delicious catered luncheon. Our thanks to the caterer for the beautiful decorated tables and scrumptious food. We had a great time. It is so good to gather with other Apostolic ladies. We can receive strength in services like this.
The presence of God was so rich in our worship service. Sis. Faythe Gill did a wonderful job speaking to us about our identity and how we are all created differently.
Thank you GA District Ladies for all you do. I pray that God blesses you abundantly. Keep working for Him because it is the only thing that will matter in eternity. He is our hope & peace. Sandra Wineinger GA District WE President
Sis. Alycia Causey gave us some tips about having a healthy Sis. Sandra Wineinger-W.E. President Sis. Shay Dotson-W.E. Vice-President Sis. Linda Vaughn-W.E. Secretary/Treasurer
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Georgia District News
Forsyth Apostolic Church Alycia Causey, Reporter We greet you in the lovely, wonderful name of Jesus Christ! Spring has finally sprung! We have endured the cold and chilly winter and are now seeing the fruits of this beautiful season and we are praising the Lord for every minute of it so far. This is a wonderful season, not only do we celebrate the regeneration of life and the constant renewing that the Lord brings to nature but we also celebrate our Risen Savior! He’s not dead but He is alive forevermore! I am just overwhelmed by the victory the Christ our Lord won for us as He triumphantly burst through that tomb. I am not a prisoner anymore to death, hell, and the grave! Glory to God in the highest! Forsyth Apostolic Church celebrated Easter Sunday with the beginning of Revival with Evangelist James Chessor and I cannot think of a better way to celebrate! We had a packed house and it was beautiful to see. Bro Chessor preached timely, anointed messages that permeated every heart and soul in that building. The altars were filled with repentant, tear stained faces. Lifted hands were raised in victory for what God was going to do in the lives of our families, and His Spirit was poured out on young and old alike! We are still feasting on the fruits of Revival and we hope to continue to reap if we faint not! We were incredibly blessed by the GA District Winter Retreat in January at New Life in Watkinsville and as always Bro Jason and Sis Deesha Hagwood did an incredible job with every detail. Our ladies then made a trip to Crawford Pentecostal Church for the GA District WE Luncheon
and just spent the afternoon being encouraged and refreshed in worship and in the Word! Sis Dorcas Hammond did an outstanding job leading us in worship and Sis Faythe Gill spoke to us reminding us who we are in Christ! We came home that Sunday and were still just overwhelmed remembering tidbits of what she had spoke and encouraging each other. Sis Amanda Shanks and I were honored to be asked to do a “short” session; mine ended up being not so short! We were truly blessed by all the ladies that spoke in the sessions and I have used many of Sis Bethany Miller’s scarf ideas already! We give honor to Sis Sandra Wineinger and the GA District WE for coordinating this wonderful event! We were truly blessed! Spring is definitely the season that makes you want to clean out and prepare for the year to come and we have begun doing that at FAC! We have added a fresh coat of paint, updated some décor, and have monitors purchased and installation should be completed this week! We are so excited for these wonderful changes and can’t wait for the next thing on the list….carpet! You probably just heard a shout all the way from Forsyth on that one! May the Lord continue to bless the churches of our wonderful Georgia District!!
Watkinsville New Life Apostolic Church Deesha Hagwood, Reporter Happy Spring to our fellow Georgia District! Although the temperamental Georgia weather hasn’t seemed willing to transition seasons, we are moving ahead at full speed around New Life. We have enjoyed a busy few months and are so thankful for God’s blessings in abundance in Watkinsville!
in fellowship! We enjoyed a great outing for our annual Ski Retreat, and tried out some new slopes in Maggie Valley. Our youth continue to be leaders in praise and worship in our services, and are looking forward to Youth Camp in July!
In February, Pastor Hammond took the month to teach on “Lifestyle of a Disciple” in our Wednesday night Bible Study. God has a bigger plan for each of us, if we will only commit completely to the lifestyle He outlines for us in His word. We continue to see new families in every service and are thankful God is continuing to allow us to be an outreaching our community.
All of our married couples enjoyed a great time at Marriage Retreat in March, and were blessed by the wisdom and words from Bro. Steve and Sis. Pat Wilson. Lunch was hosted at Blue Willow Inn and fun memories were made. God has called our marriages to be a commitment of love and devotion to Him and each other, and we must recognize and be thankful for the blessing He provides us through our spouses.
We hosted a “Free To Be Me” overnight session for our girls and young ladies in February complete with a fashion show and spa session and enjoyed a GREAT time with this age group! Our Kids Jam services continue to reach out to the children in our church, and we are thankful for the calling in the lives of these leaders. Or DASH youth group had a wonderful time at Winter Retreat, and loved seeing our friends from other churches come together
Georgia District News
We opened our pre-school on April 1, and are so excited about the additional outreach God is allowing us through this venue, as well as that of our Clothes Closet. We pray each of our fellow churches is blessed beyond measure and looking ahead to a great Spring season!
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Crawford Pentecostal Church Amber Smith, Reporter Greetings in the lovely name of Jesus. We are so excited about what the Lord is doing, it is very evident that we are nearing the end but God’s spirit is being poured out in spite of the world around us. The Youth Retreat in January, hosted by New Life, was phenomenal as usual. Thanks to Bro. Jason and Sis. Deesha for being such great leaders in our district! In January, Bro. Cody and Sis. Destinee Mayo were with us; they are always such a blessing. We were delighted to have Bro. Wilson Murphy with us in February. During those services there were three who received the Holy Ghost; Sis. Kandace Brake, Sis. Brookelyn Smith and Bro. Tyler Porter. Also in February was our Valentine’s Banquet. Our younger married couples and young people hosted the “older” married couples. The elders were treated to dinner and served by three beautiful waitresses, Tori, Brookelyn and Kandace. We had lots of laughs and of course good food and fellowship. The month of March was a busy one as well with our District Women’s Esprit conference held at our church. From beginning to end the presence of God was so rich. It was very refreshing and I think I can speak for the majority when I say it’s just what we needed.
Sis. Gill was the special speaker and she was outstanding as always. The informative sessions were great as well. Once again, lots of laughs along with some good advice! We were so happy to have Bro. Wineinger’s sister and husband joining the Gills on their trip to Georgia and we were privileged to have all of them at our Sunday services. Sis. Wineinger celebrated a milestone on March 12, her 60th birthday! She was treated to a weekend full of surprises with family, friends, gifts, more family, a surprise party and a fabulous getaway on a cruise! I think it took her a while to recover from all the near heart attacks she had from so many surprises. We hope it’s a birthday she won’t ever forget. Thanks to all who helped us celebrate and keep the surprise. We are so thankful for two that received the Holy Ghost in March; Bro. Rodney Wray and Sis. Jo Robbins. Sis. Robbins received during our footwashing service on Good Friday. I think this is the first time anyone in our assembly has ever witnessed someone receiving during such a service. What better time to receive such a gift than during the most humbling experience of washing feet? Bro. and Sis. Robbins as well as Bro. Rodney have all been baptized recently. As you can tell, our cups are running over! We’re excited to see what God has in store for us, may He continue to bless each of you abundantly!
Praise the Lord Georgia District! I pray that everyone has had a great Easter season celebrating the resurrection of our Lord. Men, please remember the dates for Menistry Conference, September 13 - 14. It will be held at FAC Maryville. I can’t stress to you enough the importance of this conference in your life. It will be life changing. You do not want to miss this! Make plans to attend. In Him, Blake Smith
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Georgia District News
The Ballestero Blog www.martynballestero.com
"That's what I'm talking about"
The Anatomy of a Spiritual Shutsown We read about government shutdowns. We a l l k n ow o f b u s i n e s s e s t h a t h ave shutdown. Computer owners know about the shutdown button on their laptop. Every child of God knows of a church member that appears to have shutdown. They no longer worship or pray as they did before. They’ve become unfaithful. A change has certainly taken place. As a pastor and an evangelist, it has been my joy over the years to see people miraculously grow and develop in God. It has also been my heartache and frustration to see some selfdestruct and lose their joy, their testimony, their good attitude and their hope of being used of God. Watching the spiritual decline of a child of God is not an easy thing for one to see. Their choices of wrong friends become the first great influencing factor in their decline. The hearts and souls of their family, friends and the ministry are made to ache. “You can’t help those who don’t want help,” is a phrase quickly understood by friends, preachers and teachers. Parents are grieved, spouses are influenced, and children are almost always damaged as a result. What is the cause? What happened to rob this person of their joy? What happened to rob this person of their respect for the things of God? What happened that would cause the flame of their spiritual fervor to go out? I think the answer is found in the book of Psalms, Chapter One. Ps 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. Please Notice This Persons Progression Toward A Spiritual Shutdown. 1. 2. 3.
Walking Standing Sitting
1. Walking: Most would refer to their spiritual life, as their ‘Walk With God.” Too often unassuming and impressionable souls have walked in the Counsel of the Ungodly. Who we listen to, always affects what happens to us. It’s not long before we become a product of who they are and what they say.
The counsel of the ungodly will never bring anyone closer to God. Their advice will only bring devastation to spiritual progress. If we claim to be spiritually minded, why would we ever seek advice from the Ungodly? We must watch whom we walk with and whom we listen to. 2. Standing Still: If we listen to the advice of the Ungodly, then we quickly become the stumbling block that prevents sinners from finding God.
Remember the young man who helped the Apostle Paul for a while? He is first listed as a Fellow laborer, or someone who worked shoulder to shoulder with Paul. In the next mention, he is referred to as an also ran… ‘and Demas.’ Lastly, Paul announces the absence of Demas. Demas had a spiritual shutdown. 1. Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers. (Philemon 1:24)
What started out as a Walk, has changed into a Standing still. We become a roadblock of sorts.
2. Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you. (Colossians 4:14)
The Apostle Paul recognized the powerful influence of the wrong people in our lives. He confronted the issue directly in his letter to the Galatians.
3. For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. (2 Timothy 4:10)
Gal 3:1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
What Are The Chances Of Recovery From A Shutdown?
Gal 5:7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
I Truly Pray That All Men And Women Will Be Able To Recover Themselves If They Want To!
Paul made it very clear that it is the Who and not the What that gives us the biggest problems in living for God. People, more than Things bring negative influences into our thinking.
Paul told Timothy how to deal with these people in the hope they would recognize and admit their wrong doings, and if they did, maybe, just maybe, God would give them repentance.
3. Sitting (With A Bad Attitude): I promise you by all that’s holy, that by allowing our Walk to include the Counsel of the Ungodly, our Walk with God is brought to a standstill. What happens next is so sad. We won’t standstill for very long. We’ll soon find a place to sit down.This is the most grievous of the three positions.
2 Timothy 2:25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
If We Sit in The Seat Of The Scornful, We Will Soon Be: • • • • • • • • • • •
Critical Of The Church, Critical Of Its Standards, Critical Of Its Preachers Critical Of The Saints. Uncooperative, Uninvolved, Joyless A Hindrance To Revival. Without The Blessings Of God. Backslidden In Heart. A Negative Influence On All Those Around Us. The Change Is Subtle At First, Then Very Obvious At The End.
Georgia District News
(How Many Do We Know That Have Changed From Sullen To Joyful?)
God Promises Some Amazing Things Here: 2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my 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. 1. If we will HUMBLE ourselves, 2. PRAY 3. SEEK GOD’S FACE – ( Which includes WORSHIP) 4. TURN FROM OUR WICKED WAYS THEN… 5. He will HEAR our prayer. (God will take us off ‘hold’ status and listen to us pray.) 6. He will FORGIVE OUR SINS 7. HEAL OUR LAND – (Bless our finances) If You Have Experienced Spiritual Shutdown… You Can Find Restoration And Once Again Experience The Joy Of The Lord!
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First Apostolic Church of Rome Sis Livingston, Reporter Praise the Lord, Georgia District! We’re looking forward to Spring. Wait a minute….Spring is officially here but where is the warmer weather and sunny days? Coming soon we hope! Some of us traveled to Watkinsville in January for the Winter Retreat. Bro. Devin Akers ministered to us with heart stirring messages. He made us realize the importance of preserving our Apostolic heritage. Sis. Reba Wood and Sis. Chelsea Savala spoke to a group about their AYC trips and Sis. Destiny Baughman sang on the Praise Team. We are thankful for these young ladies. God is blessing us in a mighty way at FAC Rome. Services have been power-packed and our Pastor has preached such anointed messages. Sis. Patricia Ledbetter and Bro. Jon Wheeler were baptized recently in the wonderful name of the Lord Jesus Christ! Praise God!
was delicious! Sis. Wineinger did an awesome job coordinating this event. The Ladies Lunch Bunch is still growing. Every month we have new ladies. In March, our fellowship hall was converted to an Italian Restaurant, including window treatment, with an array of wonderful Italian dishes. We even had “Chefs”---Sis. Eva Walker, Sis. Donna Tebo, Sis. Faye Dake and Sis. Beatrice Ingram. What a talented group of ladies! Easter Fellowship was a huge success with record attendance! The kids loved the Egg Hunt and everyone enjoyed the cook out with all the trimmings. Thank you, Bro. James Walker for grilling the burgers and hot dogs and to everyone that helped in any way to make this event happen. Our Easter Services were great with the presence of God so strong in both services. The kids sang “Our Redeemer Lives” and Our College & Career Class did “Lifehouse Everything skit” directed by Bro. Jon Wheeler and Bro. Darren Carter.
Our Youth Services have been great. All of our speakers, Bro. Darren Carter, Bro. Gary Sheriff and Bro. Jarred Harris did an excellent job with messages that were so timely. Of course we always have food, fun and fellowship following these services. Our attendance is increasing each month!
God is continuing to bless our Miracle Mikey. He is beginning to feed himself and is repeating almost every word he hears. When God performs, He does things well! Everyone is amazed by his progress! We give God all the praise! Until next time, God Bless!
Bro. Doyle Chastain from Virginia Beach, VA ministered to us in February. His message title was “Are you willing to give your life?” Bro. Chastain attended FAC before moving to Virginia Beach. His parents, Bro. Eddie and Sis Jo Chastain are members of our church. Bro. Livingston and I were able to attend the IAF Conference this year in Pigeon Forge, TN. He was thrilled to see his Pastor, Rev. Bob McCool, and share so many wonderful memories of years gone by. A few of our ladies were able to attend the Georgia District WE Retreat in Crawford. They loved Sis. Gill! All the sessions were great and the lunch
We welcome your comments and letters. news@georgiaprinters.com 12
Georgia District News
Monroe Apostolic Church Faith V. Head, Reporter Praise the Lord! What a wonderful 2013 we have had so far. Glad to finally start seeing some warmer weather headed our way. This time of the year is such a peaceful, refreshing time, when we come together and remember how Jesus died for our sins. Just to think that He made the ultimate sacrifice for us; people who are not worthy. I can’t cease to praise Him. January 15– 17 we started the year off right with our annual Prayer Revival. There is no better way to start off a new year than to come together with God’s people in prayer and praise to Him. January 25 – 26 was the Winter Youth Retreat held in Watkinsville at New Life Apostolic Church. The youth that were able to go really enjoyed the service and the late night activities that followed on the 25th. In February we had our King’s Kids Valentine party. We had a great turnout. The kids really enjoy hearing Bro. Taylor preach to them and the many games, crafts and not to mention the food. I think my daughters enjoy that part the most. In March the ladies had their annual WE conference in Crawford. I wasn’t able to attend but was told of the wonderful anointing that was felt in that place. I know the ladies from our church that attended had a wonderful time and look forward to it every year. On March 30 we had our Easter picnic for the kids. We grilled out hot dogs and let the kids hunt eggs. No shortage of smiles in that place. The kids had a ball.
our new youth leaders. They are doing a wonderful job working with the youth. They started having a youth service on the third Sunday night of each month. Those youth services have been power packed and anointed. The Lord is doing great things with our youth. It is amazing when you see the talent that they all have when they put it to use for the Lord. We have a wonderful group of young people. They have also really gotten involved with the Sunday School department and are helping with the younger kids. The youth come to our quarterly Kings Kids services and help entertain the kids.This has been such a blessing to the teachers to have that extra help. I know God is doing wonderful things at Monroe Apostolic Church. He has blessed us all beyond measures. Sometimes life’s trials can weigh us down and we forget what all God has brought us through and that He will bring us through it again. I leave you with a scripture that is on my heart today. John 16:33 “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”What I believe God is telling us is that we should not let this world bring us down because we are God’s children and He has overcome this world and its evil. We just need to put our trust in Him and not forget that He is always there. There is no problem too big for Him to handle.
This year we welcomed Bro. Scott and Sis. Rebekah Landers in as
Jason Hagwood, Youth President Greetings from the Apostolic Crusaders! Thanks to everyone who came out and supported Winter Retreat 2013. Our students, and all who attended, were blessed with anointed services, a great move of God and awesome fellowship! We are already looking ahead to our inaugural Family/Youth Camp this summer, July 17-19 at Legacy Retreat Center in Commerce, and hope everyone is making plans to attend. You don’t want miss out! Bro. Matt and Sis. Maren Perdue will be ministering during the daytime services, as well as leading our Kids Crusade Services at night, and Bro. John Willis
will be our evening speaker. The week will be packed with fun, fellowship and activities for every age group and many are in prayer for a powerful, Holy Ghost experience in the services! We will be releasing information soon for a special College and Career outing later in the summer, as well as details regarding our Overflow Chicken BBQ fundraiser set for Fall. I hope each Student Ministry group is having a great year, and that you are reaching new heights and growing in abundance as God blesses! If I can ever be of service in any capacity, please let me know.
Georgia District News
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Apostolic Church of Winder Nicole Cannon, Reporter What a wonderful beginning to 2013! God is so great and ever present! So thankful for God moving in such a powerful way throughout February, our prayer and fasting month. The church was opened every night in February for prayer; so thankful for the support of the saints to have someone at the church praying every night! We have most definitely seen the results of our prayer and fasting. Thank you God for hearing our prayers!
ACW REC. Nights have officially started up! Great family nights with volleyball, basketball, ping pong, air hockey and lots more! Fun! Fun! Fun! So excited to announce Joy Pals sent out 68 church invitations. What a blessing! Thanks to everyone who had a part in helping with that. God bless our efforts. So proud of Youthful Praise choir for singing their hearts out! What an incredible sight to see these young people singing and worshiping the one true God. “He Wore the Victor’s Crown”; what an amazing Easter service we had at ACW! The presence of the almighty was truly there! The power of the Holy Ghost was among us! We were blessed the entire month of March with dramatizations of scenes from the Passion, from Judas’ betrayal to Satan’s view of the Resurrection on the third day. Thank you Bro. Clint and all those who took part in that. We also had our first ACW Candy Trail for all the kiddos. They all had a blast finding all the candy and treasures; also lots of fun for those who were watching. What a wonderful day!
So proud of Bro. Michael Cannon for listening to God’s call to be baptized; an awesome young m a n w a i t i n g fo r God’s call in his life. So excited to announce that Bro. and Sis. Ritchey have started Discipleship Class up again this year and there are 9 people enrolled in this class wanting to know more about God. What a blessing!
God Bless you all!
2013 Calendar of Events May 4-5
Missions America Blitz..............................................................................................................Dublin
June 25-27
General Ministry Conference .................................................................................. Little Rock, AR
July 17-19
Family Camp.........................................................................................................................Commerce
August 3
College & Career Outing................................................................................................................TBA
August 17-18
Missions America Blitz......................................................................................BlairsvilleBirthdays
Advertise Your Church or Business Churches Full Page .................................... $75.00 Half Page .................................... $50.00 Quarter Page ............................... $30.00
Commercial Full Page ............................ $100.00 Half Page .............................. $60.00 Quarter Page ......................... $40.00
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Georgia District News
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Legacy Retreat Center Commerce, GA
$155/person Ages 5 & Up Ages 4 and under are not required to pay for lodging or registration, but will be charged for meals eaten on campus.
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Day Speaker & Kidz Quest Georgia District News
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Monroe Apostolic church Growing Together for Tomorrow
Pastor Nathan Carrell’s 40th Pastoral Anniversary Service Pastor and Mrs. Nathan Carrell and the congregation of Monroe Apostolic Church invite you to celebrate with us
Friday, May 17, 2013 7:30 PM
Reception in Fuller Hall following the service
406 Mayfield Drive Monroe, Georgia 30655 770-267-3738
Special Speaker
Rev. Tony Carson From Lafayette, Indiana
For Additional Details Call (706) 267-9831 PAID ADVERTISEMENT
Georgia District News PO Box 75 Crawford, GA 30630