Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
Concerning the Holy Spirit, Jesus said:
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 dwells in each believer and does the following things for the NT believer.
- HE teaches us all things (secular and spiritual)
- HE reminds us of everything God has said / scripture, dreams, and other words
- HE guides us into all truth
- HE shows us things to come
And there are spiritual gifts to the NT church given by God through HIS Spirit ...
I
Cor. 12 ... 4Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6And
there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which
worketh all in all. 7But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to
every man to profit withal. 8For to one is given by the Spirit the word
of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9 To
another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by
the same Spirit; 10 To another the working of miracles; to another
prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of
tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 11But all these
worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man
severally as HE (God) will.
Romans 12
... 4For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not
the same office: 5So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every
one members one of another. 6Having then gifts differing according to
the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy
according to the proportion of faith; 7Or ministry (serving), let us wait on our
ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8Or he that exhorteth, on
exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that
ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
Then to the NT church, after HE arose, Jesus gave the following to be ministers:
Eph. 4 ... 8Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
9(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first
into the lower parts of the earth? 10He that descended is the same also
that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
11And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for
the edifying of the body of Christ: 13Till we all come in the unity of
the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man,
unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14That we
henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about
with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning
craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15But speaking the
truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head,
even Christ: 16From whom the whole body fitly joined together and
compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the
effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the
body unto the edifying of itself in love.
Jesus gave to the NT church apostle, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers after HE arose.
Paul
is example of a NT apostle given to the church after Jesus was
crucified and raised. Paul is unlike the other apostles. When Jesus
walked on the earth in the flesh, Paul was not there with the other
apostles. As we know, Paul was persecuting the church at the time Jesus
appeared in Spirit to Paul on the road to Damascus.
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. 7And the men which journeyed with
him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. 8And Saul
arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but
they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. 9And he was
three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.
Notice
that Jesus did not appear to Paul as a human form. First there was a
bright light from heaven. Then Paul heard a voice speaking to him.
Jesus appeared to Paul as HE appears to us today ... in the form of "the Word", which is Jesus.
This Word comes to the NT church today from God by HIS Spirit, by the Holy Spirit.
Eph.
1 ... In 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.
Romans 8:9 ... Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
You cannot follow God with your mind, with your intellect.
You must be born again ... born of HIS Spirit, having HIS Spirit in you given you by Jesus ...
Many in churches today try to follow God by their own thinking. This is impossible to do.
I have often encountered people who try to follow God by an emotion, a feeling. (without the word) These people get all glassy eyed in telling of this "feeling". It is the Word that leads us. So many are false by following feelings. We have in the Bible examples from the beginning to the end of the Bible of the Word coming to that person to lead him. I can't think of any example where a person had a "feeling" without the Word in Bible. I would not trust a person who just presented a feeling leading him.
All things were created by THE WORD.
And it is the Spirit of God bringing that word to us today.
I
Cor. 2 ... for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of
God. 11For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man
which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the
Spirit of God. 12Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but
the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are
freely given to us of God. 13Which things also we speak, not in the
words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth;
comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14But the natural man
receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness
unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually
discerned.
(to be continued tomorrow)