The First Apostolic Church of Ruskin

The First Apostolic Church of Ruskin Welcome to a revival church, community minded in a country setting. FAC in Ruskin is a friendly place where everyone young and old feel like family!

Pastor Johnny Cook and his wife, Sherry, the founders of the First Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ in Ruskin, Florida, just celebrated 35 years of church ministry in May 2013. Pastor Cook is a Vietnam veteran with a great heart for evangelism, missions, and community outreach. Assistant Pastor Ole Robinett and wife, Tracy, are great assets to our church. Both are retired military with the US Army

and share a great appreciation for community and missions. Pastor Robinett is also an active teacher in our local middle school. God has established a great work in Ruskin, and we are very blessed. Since the foundation for the church was dug in 1978, there has never been a mortgage owed on the property or buildings of First Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ. Our church has a country setting of five acres. It is a great place for family and fellowship. In addition to worship, our church members enjoy many special events, such as revival services, concerts, dramas, youth ministries, and more. We also offer basketball, volleyball, bonfires, and picnics on the property throughout the year.

Final post for . First we want to thank each of you that have followed our page throughout the years. We want to encou...
12/13/2019

Final post for .

First we want to thank each of you that have followed our page throughout the years. We want to encourage you to continue to follow us on our new page. Please show your support by sharing and liking the posts as well as purchasing one of our amazing 2020 tee shirts.

Our mission for 2020 is to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10).

12/13/2019

Guaranteed Protection
December 13, 2019

The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore. – Psalm 121:7-8
A couple of days ago, I chatted by phone with a friend who lives in Shanghai, China. Concern was evident in her voice as she told me that a typhoon was headed in their direction. She said schools and businesses had been shut down throughout the city in anticipation of record winds and torrential rain. Later in the day, I heard on the news that more than two million people had evacuated the city and areas along China’s eastern coast, fleeing from the killer typhoon “Wipha” that was bearing down on the area. Thankfully, the storm skirted densely populated Shanghai, and though it brought winds of one hundred miles per hour when it hit land, it was still more moderate than forecasters had feared. Even so, the typhoon destroyed more than 9,600 houses and damaged 42,000 others. Given that tremendous destruction, I was relieved to hear that my friend and her family were safe and sound.

While forecasters in our day have refined the science of storm prediction and tracking to a remarkable degree, in our Christian lives we are often unaware that a spiritual storm is on the horizon. Many times we have no specific warning that a spiritual “typhoon” is about to slam into us, nor do experts predict what the velocity of the winds will be when they hit. No one alerts us to board up our spiritual windows and doors, and stay home until the storm blows over.

Yet, despite the many unknowns of a spiritual storm, as Christians we can live without fear. We can have confidence that the storms which will inevitably come will not devastate us. We have a refuge and a spiritual fortress which offers guaranteed protection—God Himself promises to preserve us and keep us safe! No matter how fierce Satan’s attack may be, no matter how hard the gale winds of trouble may blow, we can have confidence in God. He promises to preserve our going out and our coming in, not just today and tomorrow, but “forevermore!”

You can’t get any better security than that!

Praise the Lord... is now "Refuge Apostolic Church". We appreciate your faithfulness, dedication and prayers for all t...
12/11/2019

Praise the Lord... is now "Refuge Apostolic Church".

We appreciate your faithfulness, dedication and prayers for all these years. Please follow, share and like our new page Refuge Apostolic Church 💜 this page will no longer be active so this will be our final week.

Sunday School (nursery, youth, adults): 10am
Sunday Service: 11am
Wed. Bible study: 7pm

As well as events to come on the page ☺

12/11/2019

Don’t Be Ridiculous
December 11, 2019

Pray without ceasing. – 1 Thessalonians 5:17
The week after I became a Christian, I heard a minister say, “We should pray without ceasing as the Bible says to do.” I had not prayed in years and initially found it difficult just to remember to pray over my food. However, I wanted to obey the Bible, so I asked God to help me to pray always and about everything.

The Lord did help me. Each day He gave me small opportunities to pray. Usually I would not think to pray about things such as losing my keys or getting a stomachache, but He would prompt me. Soon, I was praying while cooking breakfast, while helping my children get ready for school, while cleaning the house, while gardening, and every time I got in the car.

Several years passed, and then one day when I was on my way to pick up my children from school, I turned on the radio and heard an interesting comment about the idea of praying without ceasing. The commentator said, “Of course, the Bible doesn’t mean to literally pray without ceasing, because that would be impossible, and it is ridiculous to bother God about every little thing.” I turned off the radio, but continued to think about what had been said. On the drive home I prayed, as I always did, at the entrance to the freeway. The words from the radio came back to me, though, and I wondered, Am I being ridiculous? Plenty of drivers get on the freeway every day without praying, and nothing happens to them. Maybe I do bother God with unnecessary things.

Right then the Lord reminded me of a time when He had told me to change lanes. I had been driving on the freeway in the right-hand lane when an urgent thought came to me to move to the other lane. I looked to my left and saw that there was no room to get over, but I signaled anyway and began to squeeze my way in. As I did so, the tire blew out on the car that had been in front of me. That car slowed abruptly, almost stopping. Had I still been behind it, I would have crashed into it.

The Lord’s reminder that day convinced me of the value of praying without ceasing. Now, I start praying as soon as I awake in the morning, and I pray about everything. Yes, some might think it is a little ridiculous to pray about things that are routine; however, when I think about what could have happened if I had not prayed on the morning that God told me to change lanes, it seems more ridiculous not to pray. If you find it difficult to pray without ceasing, ask the Lord to teach you how to do it. The more you pray, the more you will see His hand moving in your life.

12/08/2019

Just One Taste
December 08, 2019

O taste and see that the Lord is good. – Psalm 34:8
Have you ever tasted something that you did not like? My family loves pickled pigs’ feet. They once stood around the table saying, “Oh, these are so great!” However, I thought they were terrible! I can also remember well the things that tasted good to me. My sister was an unbelievably good cook, and one day somebody brought fresh peaches by the house. I can still remember sitting there eating my sister’s peach cobbler and thinking, This is the best thing that I’ve ever eaten in my life.

The taste of some things can be deceitful. The item looks good but it does not necessarily taste good. I have seen beautifully decorated cakes that were as dry as hay. And sometimes the bakery can do all kinds of fancy things with frosting, but it leaves a greasy taste in your mouth. How disappointing!

In our focus verse, we are told to taste the Lord and see that He is good. Just as you cannot always know how something will taste by only looking at it, the Psalmist knew it was necessary to do more than only look at what God offers. Hence he told us to taste the Gospel—to try it out and see if it is truly good.

David wrote these words with confidence because he knew that with just one taste, a person would be a new creature in Christ Jesus. With just one taste, joy would come into the heart—real joy! The joy of this world is so temporary—something goes well and you feel great, and the next day something goes wrong and you are down. But the Psalmist knew that with just one taste of serving the Lord, lasting joy would flood the heart.

Just one taste will also bring deep contentment, and contentment is a scarce commodity in the world that we live in today. Everybody wants a bigger car, a newer house, the latest gadget, and on and on. But those who taste of the Lord are content in their hearts.

I am glad that the Psalmist did not tell us to taste religion, or to taste philosophy. There is a lot of religion and philosophy in the world today, and many people who try to teach those beliefs. But the Psalmist simply said to taste and see that the Lord is good. He is the only One who gives joy, contentment, and all good things.

12/07/2019

A Disciplined Soldier
December 07, 2019

Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. – 2 Timothy 2:3
One of our veterans had this testimony of his time as a soldier: “It was my privilege to serve my God and my country in the United States Army. I was a frontline infantryman with the 88th Division, and God took care of me there. I had shrapnel come so close to me that it burned the side of my head parallel to the stem of my eyeglasses, but it never even drew blood. I crawled through muddy drainage ditches until my knees were raw, with machine gun slugs whizzing over my head, but God brought me through it all.”

Obviously, this soldier had learned some discipline before he arrived in this situation, and that discipline helped him endure the hardships he faced in battle. Discipline can be defined as, “a state of training, resulting in orderly conduct,” and must be practiced during peacetime in order for a soldier to be prepared for wartime situations. Once a war has started, it is too late to prepare for the battle at hand.

As soldiers for Christ, we also need to apply discipline in order to prepare ourselves for future spiritual battles. For example, when a problem arises in life, no matter how simple it may seem, we can exercise our faith by giving it to the Lord instead of trying to handle it in our own way. Allowing Him to show His faithfulness in the small things will help us trust Him when great trials come. And when an opportunity arises to stand up for Christ, no matter how insignificant it might seem, we should do it! In the future, taking a controversial stand for the Gospel will come much more easily if we have already made such decisions a habit. Concerning time spent with the Lord, no matter how rushed or anxious we feel about a busy day ahead, we must make time to commune with God. It is that daily communion that will add up to a life-long relationship with Him, and will reassure us during spiritual battles.

The hardships that come in the form of suffering for righteousness’ sake, such as enduring ridicule for Christian beliefs, refusing to tell an untruth on the job, or actually taking the message of the Gospel into non-Christian lands, will not seem as difficult or alien to the well-equipped child of God. If we remember our goals—standing up for Jesus and living for eternity in Heaven—we will find the strength to persevere.

How is your discipline today?

12/06/2019

Come See!
December 06, 2019

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. – James 1:17
One of the many blessings of having a family is grandchildren! Watching them grow and develop their own personalities is such a joy. Last Christmas, my wife was wrapping presents and storing them in our guest room. Our older granddaughter took the hand of a guest and exclaimed, “Come see the presents!” Oh! The anticipation in her voice and the twinkle in her eyes! I knew she would be getting even more and more excited about those presents as the days came and went.

I thought about my granddaughter’s enthusiasm regarding those gifts, and compared them to God’s promises from the Bible. His promises are like presents all wrapped up and ready to be given out. I am excited that we, too, can proclaim with excitement in our voices and a twinkle in our eyes, “Come see the presents God has in store!” Living the Gospel is like having Christmas all year long. It is exciting to watch people of all ages with all kinds of needs start “opening” the promises that God has just for them. That special gift is so much appreciated when it fits our need. It makes our days worthwhile, meaningful, and complete. May we always remember every good and perfect gift comes from above.

Jesus is God’s most precious Gift to mankind. He fills every void, and satisfies the cry of every heart. God knows us so well, and He only has good things in store for us. Each promise is a wonderful resource and gift, which we need to treasure as His plan unfolds daily, making our lives exciting.

Start thinking about those promises, and unwrap the gifts from God. There are so many wonderful promises, enough for every day. Get hold of them, get excited, take someone by the hand and say, “Come see the presents!”

12/05/2019

Thanks Where Thanks Is Due
December 05, 2019

And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God. – Luke 17:15
Several years ago, my wife and I received a letter from a family in Romania. I had never been to Romania, but it was a kind, well-written letter thanking us for sending their family some money in a time of real financial struggle. They even sent a picture with the letter, and it was nice to receive the note of thanks. The only problem was that we did not know them and we had never sent them any money! We were happy for them, but they were mistaken as to the identity of the people who had sent the gift.

There is no mistaking, however, who deserves the thanks when God does something for an individual. Our focus verse comes from a passage in the Bible which describes the healing of ten l***rs. The Bible tells us that Jesus was traveling to Jerusalem and the ten l***rs were outside of Samaria, so it appears that Jesus went out of His way to meet the l***rs. No doubt He had those ten in mind as He went that way. He knew their need, He knew that they wanted to be healed, and He made a special effort to be in a place where they might receive that blessing.

Sadly, of the ten who were healed, only one had it in his heart to return and thank the Lord. The one who glorified God had a deep appreciation in his heart for what Jesus had done. He recognized that what he had received from Jesus was more than just a healing touch. The Bible says that when he went back, he “fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks.”

We can learn from the one l***r who went back. Just as Jesus went out of His way to meet the ten l***rs, we know that any blessing we receive from God also takes a special effort on His part. The Lord is the great Orchestrator of events. He places people into specific places of opportunity where they can receive the touch they need. For that we owe Him thanks!

In our daily devotions, at church services, and during the prayer meetings afterwards, we can sit at Jesus’ feet and thank Him for what He has done for us. And if we cultivate that attitude of praise and thanksgiving, we will find it much easier to serve the Lord day in and day out. Regardless of our circumstances, thanksgiving will burst from our hearts.

We can always have a heart of gratitude just like the one l***r did. May we determine to turn to the Lord every day to glorify Him and to thank Him for what He has done.

12/04/2019

Jesus Is Always There
December 04, 2019

All things work together for good to them that love God. – Romans 8:28
Today’s focus verse is possibly one of the most questioned and contested verses in the Bible. This is because people often find themselves asking, What good can possibly come from this situation?

There was a day when I was wondering that very question myself. It was a dreary, overcast morning—not raining yet, but threatening to at any minute. The windshield-wiper blade on the driver’s side of our car had fallen off and was laying in the backseat. Our daughter-in-law was in the car with her wheelchair, and we were taking her to an appointment at a doctor’s office. After that appointment, we headed to a different hospital for another examination. We were just walking away from the car in the parking garage when my wife, who had been driving, said, “I locked the keys in the car!”

These are the kinds of situations that can make a person question how anything good can result!

Although the circumstances were frustrating, we were all still smiling and joking—trying to make the best of the situation. Meanwhile, and without our knowledge, we were being observed by a lady who none of us had met before. She noticed that we continued smiling despite our misfortune, and told us that there were few who could handle such situations so well.

Thankfully, our daughter-in-law said she subscribed to a roadside assistance service. In just a few minutes the mechanic arrived and quickly retrieved the keys. When he gave them to my wife, she asked if he knew of a place where we could have the wiper replaced, and he promptly fixed that problem too. Our troubles were dissipating, and then, even more importantly, we found out that our daughter-in-law’s exams went well.

The observing woman seemed to wonder why we remained so calm, but the answer to that is simple: “All things work together for good to them that love God.” We knew that God was in control, despite the moments when it felt like nothing was going right.

You may also be facing difficult circumstances, and perhaps are asking yourself, What good can come from this? Only remember that if you are a child of God, good will come from it. That’s His promise!

12/03/2019

Jesus: Our Best Friend
December 03, 2019

A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. – Proverbs 18:24
Some years ago, I boarded a 747 out of Portland with a dear friend. We were headed for a long-planned vacation. We flew up into the gray skies of the Pacific Northwest, and five hours later landed in delightful Honolulu, which presented an atmosphere of sunshine, warm breezes, and glorious flowers. Thinking back on that vacation, I realize that it would not have held such charm, excitement, and breathtaking beauty if I had gone alone. Happily, the Lord blessed me with a wonderful friend who wanted to share the experience with me.

My friend did not mind that the day before we were to leave for Hawaii, I broke a bone in my foot and subsequently had to wear a cumbersome walking cast, which kept me from participating in many of the fun activities we had planned to do together. Even though my broken bone put a damper on our trip, my friend never complained and helped in every way she could to see that my vacation was as wonderful as her own.

When we think about our friends, it can remind us of the Lord Jesus’ wondrous affection and love toward us. Earthly friends are good, and can bring joy and blessings to us when we are together; but they cannot be with us always, like the Lord can. Friends can lift us up with encouraging words, but they cannot give us the peace that passes all understanding as Jesus does. And friends can make our hearts rejoice and feel loved by their kind and gentle ways, but they can never give the unspeakable joy that the Lord Jesus gives when we surrender our lives to Him.

As our focus verse explains, the Lord is a friend who sticks closer to us than a brother or earthly best friend. He is there for us all the time—leading, protecting, and loving us in ways we cannot comprehend. He is the champion of friends and His love exceeds all other love. Imagine how much we would miss if we went through life without Him!

If the Lord Jesus is not your best friend today, invite Him into your life. Talk to Him through prayer and read His Word, the Bible. When you give your life to Him and follow His leading, He will give you unlimited blessings and a wondrous assurance of eternal life when life on earth is over. What a precious, priceless friendship can be found in Jesus!

Praise the Lord... is now "Refuge Apostolic Church". We will continue this page (FAC) for a while longer but will be e...
12/02/2019

Praise the Lord... is now "Refuge Apostolic Church".

We will continue this page (FAC) for a while longer but will be eventually close down by the end of this year.

We appreciate your faithfulness, dedication and prayers for all these years. Please follow, share and like our new page Refuge Apostolic Church 💜

Sunday School (nursery, youth, adults): 10am
Sunday Service: 11am
Wed. Bible study: 7pm

12/02/2019

The Best Gift
December 02, 2019

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. – Ephesians 2:8
As a parent of young children, I am often given a list of many requests—anything from toys and games to shoes and clothes. When I respond to my children, I sometimes find myself sounding like my father who would say, “You need to learn how to appreciate the value of the gift before I can give it to you,” or, “Do you know how much that costs?” While I enjoy giving things to my children, my spirit of giving has limits!

Thankfully, our Heavenly Father, who knows all things, does not interact with us in the same manner. The Bible says that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). What an awesome thought to know that while I was committing sins against God, He loved me so much that He already had the gift of salvation prepared for me. He sent His Son Jesus to suffer and die for my sins that I might be redeemed! What is even more mind-boggling to me is that I did nothing to earn His special gift of salvation. How could this be?

Most of us are taught that we are supposed to deserve a gift before we receive it. I am so glad God did not require that I appreciate the value of His Gift before I could receive it, and that He did not say to me, “Do you know how much it cost My Son to shed His Blood for you?” I would never have been able to earn salvation in my own strength, but by God’s grace, His perfect gift of salvation was available to me—and it is still available to all.

As we give presents to the ones we love this Christmas season, may we be reminded of the first Christmas Gift—the Savior Jesus Christ. That Gift was unearned and undeserved, but given out of God’s great love for us. Thank God for this marvelous Gift!

Address

1820 30th Street SE
Ruskin, FL
33570

Opening Hours

Monday 11am - 1pm
Wednesday 6pm - 9pm
Saturday 9am - 10am
Sunday 9am - 1pm

Telephone

+18136459582

Website

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