Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
Jesus Christ was born in the flesh by the Holy Spirit by the will of God. He same to serve God, not to serve Himself. He obeyed God.
And Jesus said of Himself: I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. Jn. 5:30
All this is an example for us who belong to God. As Jesus was born in the flesh by the Spirit of God so are we who belong to God born by the Spirit of God to enable us to serve God.
And as Jesus could do nothing of Himself and did only that which he heard from God to do, we are the same. It is only that which the Spirit of God shows us to do that we are to do. If we go off in the flesh, doing the will of our own flesh it will avail nothing. Hopefully if we do this we will not hurt anyone too much. But only those things authored by the Spirit of God are the will of God for us as we live on this earth.
For example: Jesus healed the sick. Jesus raised the dead. But Jesus heard from God to do these specific works at that exact moment in time. It is hard to imagine that Jesus could not do anything of Himself. But that is what Jesus says in Jn. 5:30. The key is Jesus heard from God second by second as He walked on this earth and He did what He heard from God. HE did not follow His own will in the matters at hand. He heard from God what to do and He did that.
There is a woman I am acquainted with who is going the wrong way. I've been given dreams of her to show me she is getting worse, not better. Recently there was an occasion that happened which opened a door for me to communicate with her. Certainly I want her to be helped. But the question for me is this: Does God want me to contact this woman and tell her of the blog writings which have the power to help her if she can believe? I asked God what HE wanted me to do. I heard the following after I prayed: it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. I Cor. 1:21
I sent the information to this woman because I believed that was what I heard to do concerning her.
Pam Padgett wanted to help her next door neighbor. His wife was killed in a car accident. He has two small children, under the ages of 6. It is a terrible situation. The last time she spoke with this man, she came away saying to God, "There ought to be something I could do to help this man." (meaning something spiritual to help him) ... But she heard nothing. Again she prayed. Again she heard nothing. Later she had the thought of telling this man to turn to God. But when she prayed, again she heard nothing. She had even written to him telling him to turn to God. But when she failed to get confirmation from God, she discarded the letter. We cannot do anything of our own desire. Jesus said HIS judgment was just because he did not do things by HIS own will but HE did that which he heard from God. (Jn. 5:30)
In all things, this must be our pattern.
And Paul gave us the following instruction for our lives as we live on this earth: Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Phil. 2
- Jesus made Himself of no reputation (He wasn't trying to be great and beat people and get ahead on this present earth)
- Jesus took on the form of a "servant" ... doing the will of God ... serving God ... A good servant does the will of his master, not his own will. A good servant doesn't jump about doing all types of things of his own desire. A good servant waits on his master to tell him what to do and then the good servant does what his master instructs.
- Jesus obeyed God even to death on a cross ...
There is an example in Bible where the Holy Ghost did not allow them to preach the Word of God in Asia. (Acts 16:6 ... Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, 7After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.)
Later they were allowed to preach the Word in Asia. (Acts 19:10 ...And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks)
Jesus was born in the flesh by the Spirit of God by the will of God.
We are born again by the Spirit of God by the will of God.
Jesus followed God and did what God told Him to do in the specific issues that came before Him. He said he could do nothing of Himself. He could only do what He heard from God. (Jn. 5:30)
The same is true with us. We can desire to have something happen but only as we hear from God by His Spirit can we speak that word or do that act.
Mt. 7 ... Jesus says ... Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
All their wonderful works counted as nothing because those works were authored by their own flesh and not by the Spirit of God. The works seemed good to them. They brought those works to the attention of Jesus at day of judgment after doing what seemed good to themselves. But Jesus turned them away and called them workers of iniquity because their works were not authored by God though the works seemed to them to be good works. They even did these works in the name of God. But Jesus turned them away.
So we see that like Jesus, we must be born of the Spirit of God. We must do works authored by the Spirit of God and not just works that we desire to do. The only thing that matters is the will of God. Moment by moment we must turn to God with the works and say: What do YOU want me to do in this? And we wait for HIS confirmation before doing anything.
When the word does go forth, it does what God wills. The same word that saves those who believe, condemns those who do not believe.
Isaiah 55:11 ... God says ... So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
Paul explains: Romans 9 ... For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.” 16So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. 17For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.” 18Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.
Noah did what God told him to do and by that Noah ended up condemning the world. Heb. 11 ... By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
I attended a Bible class one time at a Church of Christ group. Man teaching cited the above verse about Noah and he asked, "Did Noah condemn the world?:" I replied: "Yes ... The condemnation came because Noah believed God and they did not believe." (The people in the room were apparently stunned by that which the Holy Spirit spoke through me.)
I believe in day of judgment God will say to some, "Didn't my servant tell you?"
I also believe in day of judgment God will say to some "Pam believed and yet you did not believe." Thereby Pam will condemn the world because she believed the Word and they did not believe.
So the Word goes forth to accomplish what God wills. For some it will be salvation and God will open their eyes to believe. For others the Word will bring condemnation as it did to Pharaoh in Egypt (Exodus). But all will be according to the will of God. Romans 9
So we deliver the word when we believe God wants us to deliver the word ... and after we have delivered the word, we get out of the way. We do not focus on that which they do with the Word. Some will believe to salvation others will condemn themselves by refusing the word.