Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
Often "salvation" comes when we see we were wrong about something or someone.
Recently I wrote a letter to my cousin (Printed 10-17-14 ... Second letter to cousin) ... After I wrote that letter, I saw what was happening. Every section of that letter was giving my cousins a chance to see she had been wrong about me. If she catches a brief glimpse of this, she can be saved.
In I Peter 3, we see that those who have spoken evil about us have a chance to be "ashamed" of what they have spoken when they see our good conversation in Christ.
This is exactly what was going on with this letter to my cousin. She is 93 years old and will die soon. She and her husband and step son saw me as evil because I am a minister. Their church teaches a woman cannot be a minister. So their view of me was evil, not good.
I know at some point God will tell my cousin that I belong to HIM and am called by HIM to do exactly what I am doing ... then she will suffer greatly, being ashamed of those things spoken against me. I have prayed that this would happen before she dies, not after death. For after death, can we repent? I don't think so. It is over with death. Then all that awaits us is the judgment seat of Christ where we receive for that which we have done on this earth whether it is good or evil. (II Cor. 5:10 ... 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. 11Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men;)
I did not know when I wrote my cousin that I was giving her a chance to repent, but after I wrote I saw this. Each section of this letter offers her an opportunity to see she had been wrong about me.
For example: She was very angry with me when I did not attend her mother's funeral. She accused me of not caring about Aunt Ardath. The opposite was true. Aunt Ardath and I were connected spiritually. It turns out Aunt Ardath was taken into heaven like I had been taken into heaven. We were connected in a way we were not connected with any other people in our natural family. When we spoke with each other, we usually spoke spiritual things. (I did what I could while Aunt Ardath lived, communicating with her in a timely way with mutual consolation of sharing things of God and scripture ... After she died she was asleep and would not be helped by my visiting her casket and grave yard.)
Here is a first example in the letter to my cousin which should give her an opportunity to see this spiritual connection between her mother and I, and to see how I cared for my aunt, her mother.
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10-16-14
Dear Jeanne …
Something else pertaining to Aunt Ardath …
When she broke her hip in Kansas (1983), I called her and spoke with her in hospital. She said:
“What do you think should happen to an old woman like me who tries to
sit in chair and misses chair and falls on floor and breaks hip?”
I replied: “You should have mercy.”
Then she asked me … “What do you think happens to us when we die?”
I replied: “Death is just a falling asleep … it is like going to sleep …”(She replied: "That's what I think too.")
When we awaken from death, it will be because Jesus awoke us …
I
Thess. 4 … Paul says … 13But I would not have you to be ignorant,
brethren, concerning them which are asleep (die), 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 (precede) them which are asleep (dead).
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.
Another scripture showing death is like sleep is Jn. 11 … concerning Lazarus
Jn.
11 … Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town
of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (It was that Mary which anointed the
Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother
Lazarus was sick.) 3Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord,
behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. 4When Jesus heard that, he said,
This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son
of God might be glorified thereby. 5Now Jesus loved Martha, and her
sister, and Lazarus.
6When He had heard therefore that he was sick, He abode two days still in the same place where He was.
7Then
after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again. 8His
disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee;
and goest thou thither again? 9Jesus answered, Are there not twelve
hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because
he seeth the light of this world. 10But if a man walk in the night, he
stumbleth, because there is no light in him.
11These things said
He: and after that He saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but
I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. 12Then said his disciples,
Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. 13Howbeit Jesus spake of his death:
but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. 14Then
said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. 15And I am glad for your
sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless
let us go unto him.
Shortly after we spoke by phone, Aunt Ardath had a stroke, went into coma and died. (1983)
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If my cousin can see the truth in this, she will be ashamed of what she said against me and she will repent and be saved.
Look at I Peter 3 ...
And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? 14But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; 15But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
16Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.
The main thing for each of us who belong to God is for us to keep our hearts good (having a good conscience) when we are accused of wrong doing. If we spoke the word of God by the will of God and are accused of wrong doing, those accusers may later have opportunity to be "ashamed" because of our "good conversation in Christ." If they become ashamed of what they said against us, they will "sorrow unto repentance" and be saved.
Many years ago, Pam Padgett attended a singles group at a church. A divorced woman in the singles class was planning to marry. Pam took the following scripture to this woman showing that she would commit adultery should she remarry. Jesus says: Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. 12And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery. (Mk. 10:11) ,,, and Pam took many other scriptures on this subject to this woman. This woman said, "I don't care what the Bible says. I know what I believe."
Pam also went to the man who was planning to marry this woman and showed him Jesus' words saying the man who marries the divorced woman commits adultery. Mt. 5:32 He did not listen either.
Then Pam went to the maid of honor and showed her these scriptures. She would not hear either.
If at any point any one of these people sees they were wrong and are ashamed of the evil the did toward Pam because of the word of God which she delivered, there is certainly hope for their salvation for it is God who opens our eyes to wrong doing. (Read the complete story of this: When the single's class at Church tried to run away from me.)
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I Peter 3:
sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: (verse 15)
Set aside the Word of God in your hearts ... Live that word ... Keep that word ... Stay faithful to that word even unto your death ... Hold fast to that word ...
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Approximately a year ago, my cousin Jeanne contacted me, wanting me to come see her where she lives. She lives 200 miles away from me. I wrote her and told her I didn't feel safe driving my 20 year old car out of town, but I would rent a car and come see her if she wanted to speak of spiritual things ... it wouldn't be profitable if all she wanted to do is speak of fleshly things.
She was very angry and responded that it was obvious I never cared about relatives ...
You can see by my letter of yesterday, even in the first paragraphs, that Jeanne has an opportunity to be ashamed of what she said and repent and to see she was wrong for what I wrote shows I cared very much about relatives ... and if Jeanne sees and is ashamed, I believe she will be saved ... but I didn't write with the purpose of making her ashamed of what she said about me ... I just felt I should write and I was led by the Holy Spirit in the examples I wrote and in the scriptures I presented to her. Looking back on what I wrote, I can see the entire letter gives Jeanne a chance to see truth and to be ashamed and to repent and to be saved before she dies. (see "Second letter to cousin" printed 10-16-14, yesterday's blog)
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Another thing about I Peter 3:15 ... be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
There is more to this instruction than meets the eye ...
When they open the door, tell them the truth. When they bring up a subject showing opposite to God, just tell them the way of God in the issue.