Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
The following is a letter I sent to my cousin, Jeanne. She is 93 years old. She has been in Church of Christ all her life. The Church of Christ group tries to avoid "supernatural" experiences in religion.
One of their favorite scriptures is Acts 2:38 ...
They quote the first half of this scripture ... Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins,
They omit the second half ... and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
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Here is the letter I sent to my cousin ...
4-15-14
Dear Jeanne: I told you how Aunt Ardath told me she had been taken into heaven once and how she said it was all golden. I suspect she told me this because I had been led to tell her what happened to me after I was born again.
After I told her this, she then surprised me by telling me “something like this” happened to her once …
What happened to me is this … after I was born again in August 1975, a few days after or weeks after I can’t recall which, but I was asleep in the night. I was “transported” into heaven …
II Cor. 12:3 ... (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)
At that time, I was "merged" into the body of Jesus ... made one with the Word of God ... God and Holy Spirit were witnesses ... (I saw no man nor image of a man ... this was all in the Spirit)
After that, I was on fire, just wanting to read Bible all the time and hear and speak things of God ...
The next morning after this happened, I was driving to work. I passed a church building where a funeral was taking place. I said: "OH ... a funeral ... how wonderful ..." (I had just been to heaven and I knew how wonderful it was and I knew nothing on this earth could equal what was in heaven so leaving this earth was to be greatly desired.) But I was surprised at my reaction to a funeral …
A few days later, in the night, the exact same thing happened again as it had before ... I was transported into heaven and merged into the body of Jesus ... made one with the Word of God.
I was visiting with Aunt Ardath at her home in Albuquerque. The Holy Spirit said to me, "Tell her about being taken into heaven." (I certainly did not want to do that! That is not something you usually tell to a Church of Christ member.) But I did tell her.
After I spoke, Aunt Ardath looked at me and said: "Something like that happened to me once and it was all golden."
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Remember the time you met me at airport when I came to Albuquerque on a buying trip?
As the plane was touching down on runway, I heard: "Be baptized" ... (Holy Spirit directing me in form of a thought.)
As we drove to buy jewelry for shop, I told you I would be baptized that afternoon while in Albuquerque if you could arrange it at church you attend.
You responded: "But you've been baptized."
My reply: "But I was not born again at that time."
Jn. 3 ... Jesus said ... Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God... Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
I was baptized that afternoon.
When the minister lowered me into the water, the Holy Spirit said to me ... "This is like being buried with Christ" ... as I came out of the water the Holy Spirit said to me: "This is like being raised with Christ."
As we drove along in Albuquerque I spoke to you of many things of God and at one point you said: “I believe you are a Christian…I just don’t know how you can be.”
You must be born again. By the will of God, I was born again. That is how I became a Christian. With that I was changed instantly and had an immediate desire for the Word of God.
Could something like the following really happen?
Acts 9 … And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 2And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. 3And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 6And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
Acts 9 … And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. 11And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, 12And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. 13Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: 14And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. 15But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: 16For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.
In 1975, after I was born again, I attended a night class at Dallas Theological Seminary. They spoke of things in Bible that stunned me.
I recall one time they spoke of the Urim and the Thummim …
I was so surprised when I heard this. I said, “Is that really true?"
The professor assured me that was really true. At one time God communicated His will through the Urim and Thummim. Ex. 28:30 (OT only)
But now in the New Covenant God puts His laws in our hearts and writes them in our minds and communicates through HIS Spirit which is in us to us.
Heb. 10:16-17 … This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
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.
Jn. 16:13 … Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
The Holy Spirit is given to every believer (Eph. 1) to live in us and guide us and teach us and reveal to us the will of God in the specific matters at hand for it is the Holy Spirit who searches the heart of God to reveal to us the will of God in each situation of this present life. (I Cor. 2)
Eph. 1 … That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: 11In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 12That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. 13In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Then there is the resurrection of Jesus from the dead … by the will of God …Without this supernatural act performed by God, Paul says our faith would be in vain. I Cor. 15
But our faith in not in vain for Jesus was raised from the dead and is seated at the right hand of God in heaven and intercedes for each of us today. Romans 8
These are just a few things you might need to know before you die … for each of us grow much closer to the judgment seat of Christ.
II Cor. 10 ... For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
Very best wishes for you always,
Love,
Joan