Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
The apostle John instructed:
I Jn. 4 ... Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
Spirits send thoughts, ideas to us. Is that idea from God? or is that idea from another spirit?
We are told to "judge" the spirit to see if it is from God or to see if it is from antichrist.
John said if it is of God, then that spirit will confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh.
If that spirit is antichrist, it will not confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh.
We are to try the spirits when we are aware of an idea or thought.
Example: The idea, concept, came that some of my problems are caused by the secular books I have been reading. I just finished reading the non-fiction novel, In Cold Blood, written by Truman Capote. This is a true story of the 1959 slaying of Herb Clutter and his wife and teenaged son and daughter in a farm house in western Kansas.
Now I am reading the very fascinating true story Ann Rule wrote about her friendship with a very personable young man in Seattle at the suicide crisis center in the 1970's. Rule and this young man worked the crisis phones together and they became good friends. His name: Ted Bundy.
When the thought came that these books were a problem, I recognized a spirit sent these thoughts. I said immediately to that spirit, "Do you confess Jesus Christ is come in the flesh." I heard a very subdued, gentle, "No."
This is an example of "trying the spirit" to see whether it is from God as per I Jn. 4.
Another example: My CD player was shipped to repair a week ago. I've not heard anything from them about the problem. The thought came: "Call them and ask them if they have found the problem." Again, at the time the thought came I recognized immediately it needed to be examined to see if the spirit behind this idea was from God. I said to the spirit: "Do you confess Jesus Christ is come in the flesh." I heard, "No."
Certainly I could have prayed over each of the above ideas. If I prayed, I would not have needed to try the spirits. Neither would I have needed the following guide to judging the spirit behind the idea: Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth
that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3And every spirit that
confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God:
and this is that spirit of antichrist,
So why try the spirit ?
Because in the Bible we are told to "try the spirit."
This does not eliminate prayer. But rather this is another weapon of spiritual warfare for the church and in the last days deception will be rampant and we cannot afford to remove any weapon given us by God as stated in the Bible.
One caution: This weapon is for the church. You must belong to God and have HIS spirit to use this weapon. To use this without having the Spirit of God might be dangerous.
Here is an interesting example of someone without the spirit of God trying to use this.
Acts 19 ...13Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. 14And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. 15And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? 16And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
17And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. 18And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. 19Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.
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When I was praying, speaking with God, asking God about that which John wrote in I Jn. 4 concerning trying the spirits, I was reminded of how Jesus directly spoke to spirits.
Mt. 8 / Mk. 5 / Lk. 8
I compared these three sections of scripture.
Mt. 8 ... 28And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. 29And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? 30And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding. 31So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. 32And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters. 33And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils. 34And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts.
Mk. 5 ... And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. 2And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 3Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: 4Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. 5And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. 6But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, 7And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. 8For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. 9And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. 10And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. 11Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. 12And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. 13And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea. 14And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done. 15And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. 16And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine. 17And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts. 18And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. 19Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. 20And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.
Lk. 8 ... 26And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee. 27And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs. 28When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not. 29(For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.) 30And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him. 31And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep. 32And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them. 33Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked. 34When they that fed them saw what was done, they fled, and went and told it in the city and in the country. 35Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. 36 They also which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils was healed. 37Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear: and he went up into the ship, and returned back again. 38Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him: but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.
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I have no doubt we, the believers, have the authority to demand that the spirit who sent the concept answer the question posed by the apostle John: "Do you believe Jesus Christ is come in the flesh?"
But this must be done "by the believer" and it must be done "in faith".
You cannot try this to see if it works. To try the doctrine this way would be like seeing if prayer works by trying to pray.
First you must be fully persuaded this is the way to try the spirit. Otherwise you might end up trying the doctrine rather than "trying the spirit".
The doctrine must be done "by faith" after you have been fully persuaded this is the way to do I Jn. 4 ...
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Several years ago, as a new Christian, I saw this scripture in I Jn. 4 concerning trying the spirits and I did it all the time for some time. When I did questioned the spirit after a concept was brought to me by a spirit, I would hear "yes" or "no" when I questioned: "Do you believe Jesus Christ is come in the flesh?" (Should I hear nothing, I would assume that to be "no". But I think I heard yes or no each time after posing the question directly to the spirit that spoke to me.)
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I shared this doctrine with both Pam Padgett.
Amazingly, Pam told me a couple of weeks or so ago, she had told God she had to know about I Jn. 4 concerning trying the spirits.
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In addition to "trying the spirits" according to I Jn. 4, we have weapons of prayer and weapon of "taking thoughts captive", and putting on the whole armor of God.
II Cor. 10 ... 3For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 6And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
Please read: Dealing with destructive thoughts
Eph. 6 ... 10Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
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Deception is one of the main problems of the last days. (Mt. 24) Jesus warns us: Let no man deceive you.
Things will get so bad, if possible even the elect would not be saved, except the days be shortened. But Jesus says the days will be shortened for the elects sake. Mt. 24:22
We, who are the church, cannot afford to eliminate any weapon given us in scripture.
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Mk. 16 ... And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
17And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
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Examples of trying the spirit: from Joan Boney
# 1. I have a busy road beside my house. There is 30 mile hour speed limit on that road and when vehicles observe that speed limit, there is much less sound coming into my house. Two or three were speeding down road. Thought came to me that I should call police and ask them to monitor the road occasionally from day to day. I recognized that thought was from a spirit. I said to that spirit: "Do you confess Jesus Christ is come in the flesh?" I heard, "No."
# 2. I was reading Jn. 8 and came to the following passage: Jesus speaking to the religious people ... Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. A woman was brought to my mind. She cannot abide in the truth. I said to that spirit: "Do you confess Jesus Christ is come in the flesh?" I heard, "Yes".
# 3. I was thinking of making macaroni and cheese. I realized the Velveeta cheese that I use for this is out of date. And I also have another box of this cheese in my pantry and it is out of date. "Maybe I could take the out of date cheese back to the store and manage to swap it for a current cheese." I realized a spirit sent that idea. I said to that spirit: "Do you confess Jesus Christ is come in the flesh?" I heard, "No."
# 4. I had prayed that morning asking God to help me choose foods to eat. About 6 pm, the thought came into my mind of mexican food. I failed to try that spirit. Went to pick up the food. When I got into car to bring food home I noticed the food didn't even have a good smell. I got home and found some of it was too salty. Some seemed too stale. I threw most of it away. The next day I was thinking about it and became aware that I did not try the spirit that sent the idea to my mind.
Examples from Pam Padgett:
#1. The thought came that one of my neighbors may be able to help me in the future with one of my dogs and that I should try to coordinate that with her now. I said to the spirit that brought this idea: "Do you confess Jesus Christ is come in the flesh?" and heard, "No"
#2 A thought came that I should try to find and contact a friend from college whom I haven't heard from in about 20 years. I asked the spirit that brought this thought "Do you confess Jesus Christ is come in the flesh?" and heard "No"
#3 On the way to the dog park this afternoon a thought came that I should be home reading the Bible more instead of doing this. I said to the spirit that brought this thought "Do you confess Jesus Christ is come in the flesh?" and heard "No"
#4 After being away from my house for a while, I noticed the light on my telephone answering machine indicating someone had left a message. I needed to take care of some things before being able to hear the message. During that time a thought came telling me that the message was something unpleasant. But when I asked "Do you confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh?" I heard "No". (the message was from a neighbor about going to the dog park, not at all unpleasant. I was spared unnecessary concern/fear)