Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
In a recent news story, they told about Lance Armstrong (bicycle competitor). He has now admitted he used drugs to increase his ability to compete. They stripped him of his winning medals for past 7 years.
When I heard this, I was thinking of the following scripture:
II Tim. 2 ... Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. 5And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. 6The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits
To be crowned in things of God, we must strive "lawfully", dealing correctly with scripture, loving details of truth, heeding all truth even when that truth goes opposite from personal preference.
Jesus said man must live by "every word" that proceeds from the mouth of God. Mt. 4:4
We must desire the truth. We must participate lawfully, casting aside doctrines which conflict with Bible and with the Spirit of God. Departing from those who refuse the truth and continue in darkness.
And we who labor must "be first partaker" of the fruits. In other words, first we have to partake of the scripture, correcting our lives by scripture and by the Spirit of God, before we can labor in God's vineyard.
And Paul says: Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 25And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 26I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
Our flesh wants to lash out against those who do wrong. This is something we learn to control by the Spirit.
Recently I had a light fixture go out. It required an electrician. I asked the man who sold me the fixture to recommend someone to come fix the fixture. He called a man named Mat and explained the problem to Mat and John called me to tell me Mat could fix it. I called Mat and set up a day and time. But when the appointed time came, Mat didn't show up. And there was no phone call from him either. The next day I called and asked him if he would like to reschedule this since he didn't come the previous day. He set up another day and time. Again he didn't show up. Again I called and asked him if he would like to reschedule. He set another day and time and again didn't show up. This exact same thing happened 4 times. You would think it was time to get another electrician and strike out against Mat, telling John that he should never recommend Mat to anyone again. This is what my flesh wanted to do. For the entire week, things inside me grew more hostile toward Mat although I just kept enduring without lashing out as I wanted to do. After 4 no-shows, Mat finally came and fixed the fixture. I was very glad I didn't lash out against him as I wanted to do. I simply showed kindness toward him.
Certainly there is a time to correct ... but there is also a time to control ourselves. Sometimes mercy is required.