Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
Especially in ministry offices (apostle/prophet/evangelist/pastor/teacher) ... in our desire to be right, we may quench the Holy Spirit. It takes faith to speak. And faith is often a bit like walking on a high wire without a net. We speak because we believe, or at least that is the way it should be. And we do not hold back because of personal fear. The fear we might be wrong can stop us. The fear of what people will think if we speak that might stop us. Faith goes forward in belief. Faith is based on our belief we have heard from God. We believe we have heard so we speak. Faith becomes the net for us in the high wire act. Faith in God saves us from the destruction.
In the late 1970's, two sections of scripture were called to my attention and I kept these in my mind constantly. By these God led me and taught me how to speak.
Jesus said: 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. 5:29
Paul said: And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. 2For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. 4And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. I Cor. 2
Notice Paul "determined" not to learn by his own wisdom.
In the world we learn by what we do, by our wisdom and our accumulation of knowledge.
But Paul "determined" not to go this way. Instead Paul was going to do as Jesus did. Paul was going to speak that which he heard from God.
This takes great faith. It is much easier to go what seems to our flesh to be a safe way, quoting men or quoting scripture without sharing any interpretation ...looking good to other humans.
Many have dazzled men and women by cleaver sayings of their own flesh. In the world Winston Churchill was a master at clever sayings. But this is the world. In the church, the wisdom is God not flesh. Not speaking that which "tickles" the ears of humans. But speaking that which is given us by God by HIS Spirit for in this there is real power.
One example came to me when I was playing golf with two women. One woman was Church of Christ and the other woman was Methodist. The Methodist woman began speaking about people who judge others. Out of my mouth came these words: "If you judge someone is judging aren't you judging?"
She gasped. It was like a pin pricking a balloon and letting the air out of the balloon.
This is the power of the Holy Spirit. This is what Paul was speaking of when he said ...in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
I didn't speak in cleverness of my flesh. I just spoke what I heard from God at that moment.
There is a vast difference between pouring over scripture trying to prepare a message, compared to sharing by the Holy Spirit, speaking what HE says to you.
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In the 80's when I was on radio, the manager of the radio station in Seattle met me outside the room where I was going to have a meeting. George said to me: "Joan, you have many good messages. Just speak those messages. If you keep speaking these judgment messages I don't know what is going to happen to you. We may have to put you off the air."
Instantly out of my mouth came the following reply: "George ... if I don't speak the message I believe to be from God then I don't have a message and I may as well be off the air."
This was the Holy Spirit speaking through me and it defined the following years for me as I shared with people in the church.
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I have never found God to be boring. God wakes us up. God shocks us. God sends life though us. My own words bore me. I try not to speak my own words. But when you speak God's words, it requires faith for often there is the thought that you might be wrong. It is easier to hide behind scripture because we know scripture is right. But unless God shows us to speak that scripture, even the scripture will lose power.
We speak by the Holy Spirit ... We speak that which Holy Spirit brings to our remembrance.
Jn. 14:26 ... But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
We are reminded of a dream, so we share that.
We are reminded of some way we were helped by God. So we share that.
When reminded of a scripture, we share that.
The Holy Spirit searches the heart of God to share with us that which God wants.
Everything is done by the Holy Spirit reminding us, bringing something to mind.
The devil also reminds us of things but most of the time we can discern whether it is devil or Holy Spirit. And also we have the power given by God to try that spirit that brought to mind things. Please read: How to try the spirit to see if they are from God
Faith believes he has heard from God so he speaks, he shares. And there is power in what God says to do the work of God.
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First we must keep our own hearts clean ... not allowing resentment to grow in us ... purposing for His will to be done, not my own will.
But when a judgment messages comes, then we speak in faith, believing we have heard from God.
God teaches us. God puts HIS laws in our hearts and minds. (Heb. 8 & Heb. 10) Then the Holy Spirit brings such to our memory and we speak that. I don't know what people need to hear. God knows what people need to hear. So we learn to speak that which is brought to our memory by the Holy Spirit. This is the power of God to do the work of God as we go forth.
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Recently the following happened ... At the drive in bank, the teller would say to me, "Is this a deposit?" I was amazed for I had put a deposit ticket in the window and when she looked at the ticket should should be able to tell what is was.
After several times of this same occurrence, when the woman said, "Is this a deposit?", I replied: "Can't you tell by looking at the ticket?" She was very shocked and woke up, at least for a moment. She replied: "Yes".
God has the power to wake us from the dead.
If you are "froward" (stubbornly unruly) the words God would speak through me by HIS Spirit may seem to you "forward". The word may seem "rude" to the froward. But regardless, HIS words contain the power of God to awaken us.
Psa. 18 ... 25With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright; 26With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.
We don't always speak sweetly and softly. If that person we are speaking to is forward (stubbornly unruly), God often has us speak in a strong manner. They may see us as rude and froward but that is because they are rude and froward ... so with the froward God will shew Himself froward in their eyes.
We don't always speak the same way if we are really following the Spirit of God.