Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
Yesterday Pam Padgett wrote a message that I want to be sure to get more inside me. The way I do this is to read the message and focus on the message and check myself and think of what I am doing and think on what I need to do.
Here is the message Pam wrote:
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Pam Padgett - teacher
Paul spoke of how he fought in order to run the race set before him ....
1 Corinthians 9:26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
One
of the fights we continuously must fight is dealing with troubling
thoughts so we may keep our hearts and minds according to the ways and
word of God. The devil brings thoughts which can greatly affect us and
lead in ways that are not ways of God and of peace. If we try to
explain away the thoughts with our minds it
does no good ... just as beating the air ... and we become weak and are
in danger of going the wrong way.
An example is
troubling thoughts that have come to me at times accusing me for not
writing more on the blog. If I try to lightly reason the thought away,
it does no good and I have become confused and almost paralyzed. But
when I turn to God with each thought, HE knows how to help me. I recall
one time being helped by being reminded of the following and was able
to move forward as I focused on this ... 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. (John
5:30)
When we stop and turn to God with each
thought, we don't just beat the air but are able to effectively fight
with what God gives to us to keep ourselves in the way of God.
Another way we can "beat the air" is by not dealing appropriately with problems that
we encounter. We may think "Its not important" or "This is silly and
shouldn't be a problem" (but it is a problem if it troubles or consumes us).
The problem doesn't get resolved by trying to ignore or reason it
away. We've done no more than beat the air. But when we turn to God
with the problem, HE is able to help us.
Recently I
found myself "beating the air" in dealing with a problem. A
neighbor sometimes brings her dogs to play in the yard with my dogs. A
couple weeks ago one of my dogs started jumping on the neighbor in
excitement. One day the dog jumped in such a way that the neighbor
almost fell! Although the neighbor has not been upset, I was very
troubled by the dog jumping. I do not want to subject anyone to this jumping which is irritating and could be dangerous. I
tried various things to keep the dog from
jumping on this neighbor but my ideas were ineffective, like beating the
air.
Then I remembered to turn to God with this problem. After praying I had
the idea to talk with a trainer. The trainer suggested something very
simple ... keep the dog on a leash until she calms down from being so
excited. If she jumps again, immediately put her back on the leash
until she again calms down. The neighbor has brought her dogs to my
yard twice since I spoke with the trainer, and using a leash like this
is working well. Rather than my frantically yelling at the dog (which
did no good), I'm able to deal with the dog pretty easily and
effectively. On the second visit the dog calmed much quicker and was
able to be off the leash more without jumping.
When we fight by turning to God and fight with what God gives to us, going in the way we are shown by the
Holy Spirit, that which troubles or hinders us is dealt with and we can
move forward. We don't just beat the air.
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Comments by Joan Boney
Recently a woman who had been having some oppression said to me: "I have no reason to be oppressed. I have more (money, things, people) than anyone else."
When she said this, I could tell she had been trying to reason oppression away with her natural mind rather than fighting in spiritual ways.
That will not work ... it is like "beating at air" ... does no good at all.
Often when I begin having thoughts about what I do not have, I begin to think of what God has done for me and that really works ... Paul said to think on things that are "lovely". Phil.4
That which is lovely to me is what God has done in my life, not what I have done.
First, God revealed HIMSELF to me, giving me HIS Spirit to teach me, to lead me, to guide me, to comfort me, to help me, to show me truth. Then God took me into heaven twice, merging me into the body of Jesus, making me one with the Word of God. Then God spoke call letters of radio station to me as I slept in night causing me to focus on radio and go on radio. Then God gave me dream showing me to start the blog and do the writings you read here today.
When I think on these things, I rejoice in HIM.
When I think of all these things that God has done, I rejoice.
When I have a problem and pray and wait until I feel God shows me what to do and do that, I have anchor for my soul. When I have a problem and jump up and do what I figure out, it is just not the same. But when I turn to God and do what I believe God shows me, I can return to the situation and remember that I prayed and God showed me to do that thing and I am grounded in a secure way.
I think this is the difference between beating at air and dealing spiritually.