Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
Jn. 1 ... In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2The same was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
It was prophesied that a Messiah would come and rule forever over Israel.
They waited for decades, for centuries.
All of a sudden Andrew (the brother of Peter) said he has found the Messiah.
How would they know him. His name was not revealed to them. They knew a few things about HIM. They knew he would be born in Bethlehem. They didn't know when. They didn't know HIS name. So how would they know HIM?
Jn. 1 ... The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. 30This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. 31And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. 32And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. 33And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. 34And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. 35Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; 36And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
37And the two disciples heard him (John) speak, and they followed Jesus. 38Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? 39He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour. 40One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. 42And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.
The witness John the Baptist gave of Jesus being the Messiah was used by God to reach Andrew who believed Jesus was the promised Messiah. Andrew's brother was Peter. Andrew went and told Peter they had found the Messiah, the Christ. And Andrew brought Peter to Jesus.
While Andrew believed, many did not believe this was the promised Messiah. Some went to the Pharisees to tell them of these events for they did not believe. So some believed others did not believe.
I sat and thought what that time would be like. Can you imagine. For generations they had waited. Now John the Baptist says the promised Christ is here. After all this time of waiting.
It is a little like those of us who are waiting to be removed from this present earth ... waiting for the second coming of Jesus.
I Thess. 4 ... But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Today there is an amazing thing as we wait. Many today believe Jesus is the son of God as presented in the Bible. But many do not have the Spirit of God as they sit in their churches believing. These people are not born again. Some of them just followed relatives to church and have sat their for decades but do not have the Spirit of God.
It is a special miracle from God to see THE WORD and to be given the Spirit of God so we can know things of God.
We can't give anyone the Spirit of God. We can't cause anyone to be born again. We didn't even cause ourselves to be born again. This is because being born again is not by the will of man. It is by the will of God.
Jn. 1 ... But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (His name is THE WORD) 13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,
Those reading this writing who are born again should be amazed, overwhelmed, that God revealed HIMSELF to them. I know people who have sat in church all their lives and believe Jesus is the Son of God but are not born of the Spirit of God therefore are not born again and cannot enter the kingdom of God. They simply do what their ministers tell them to do and sit there thinking they are the children of God. But they have not the Spirit of God and we who do have the Spirit of God know they do not have the Spirit of God.
By their fruits you will know them.
They are dead while we, who have the Spirit of God, are alive. We recognize the dead among us. They can't understand what we say for only God gives understanding to any of us.
All this fits what Paul said about the elect of God in Romans 9 ... For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: 7Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 8That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
One is chosen by God and God reveals HIMSELF to that one while another is not chosen by God.
It is an amazing concept which the human mind can have difficulty accepting but it is there for us and some of us accept it because God causes us to accept it. For others the concept is foolishness and they just keep sitting there at church but they are dead to things of God, while we are alive because of God.
Jacob and Esau were both children of Isaac. While they were still in the womb, having done no good nor evil, God loved one and hated the other. It is the elect of God. We just accept it.
Romans 9 ... when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; 11(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) 12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. 13As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
If we are chosen by God, we are not chosen because of the good works we have done. We see this by the above scripture. If we are chosen it is simply because it was the will of God that we have the Spirit of God.
The mind of man will not accept this ... Man wants to think it was something in him that caused God to choose him. Or he believe the choice was his and not God's that he chose God. Then salvation is of man and not of God. Some of us know it was nothing we did to cause God to choose us. Most will not know this.
So where does this take us ... Romans 9:16 ... So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
You cannot make this happen with your works.
God reveals HIMSELF to whom HE wishes to reveal HIMSELF.
And the rest sitting there without the Spirit of God are as follows: Jude ... 17But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18How that they told you there should be mockers (those who imitate the real people of God) in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. 19These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
How does this make you feel? If you are of God you rejoice because you know you have HIS Spirit. And you marvel in God and not in yourself. And you are overwhelmed with God and very thankful.
Few people are of God.
The devil copies God. Some think because they speak in tongues it is proof they are of God. I have met many like this but they are not of God. I know that by the spirit working in them. I see their works. I hear they slightly off sounds. I know they are not of God.
Some seem they shouldn't be of God but I read their writings and see the fruits from their writings and I know they are of God and have the Spirit of God.
We know them by their fruits. We can't produce the good fruit unless we have the Spirit of God leading us to do the work. Many try to copy without having the Spirit. But they are always a little off and God always reveals to us that they do not have HIS Spirit. And finally we accept that they don't have HIS Spirit. And we know they can't understand what we say though often they pretend to understand. They are always revealed to us at some point by what they say and what they do. We can't follow God with those persons who have not the Spirit of God.