Saturday, February 28, 2015

When a person identifies himself to church as an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, or teacher

Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet

When a person identifies himself to the church as an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, or teacher, that person has a responsibility to God and to the church to operate by the Holy Spirit of God and to present his messages to the church in the Spirit of God.

A person does not decide to be apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, or teacher any more than a child decides to be a male or female.

You do not rise to the office of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, or teacher by your own effort though you must work when you are set into the office by God, it is not automatic without effort on your part.

The apostle Paul explained:

Gal. 1 ... 15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, 16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:17 Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.
18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. 19 But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother. 20 Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.
21 Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia; 22 And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ:23 But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed. 24 And they glorified God in me.


Paul did the work of apostle/teacher immediately wherever he was ...

 Acts 9 ... 10 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. 11 And 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, 12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. 13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. 15 But 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:16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. 

17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. 

18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales:and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. 19 And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. 20 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. 21 But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests? 22 But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.
23 And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him:


Paul received Christ by revelation from God and Paul preached Christ by revelation from God.  This is exactly what we who are called by God as apostle/prophet/evangelist/pastor or teacher do.  We work by revelation of God in the calling of God by the Holy Spirit of God.  And we report to the church that which we have heard from God.

Paul explains the calling as follows:  

II Cor. 3 ... 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; 6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit:for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

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Ephesians 4 ... When he (Jesus) ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

After Jesus was crucified and ascended into heaven, HE gave "gifts" to the church to care for the church, to do the work of the ministry ...
 
...11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:13 Till 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:14 That 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; 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:16 From 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.

Paul is an example of this apostle who was given to the church after Jesus arose.  Paul did not know Jesus before the crucifixion and resurrection.  Paul is not the last apostle as many churches teach today.  Rather Paul was the first of the New Testament apostles given to operate in the New Testament church after Jesus arose.

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In 1975, while reading a book, God spoke to me by His Spirit and revealed Himself to me by HIS Spirit.  The Spirit said:  "Joan, you know all those mistakes you've been making all these years?  Those weren't mistakes.  Those were sins."  I was shocked:  "Sins!" I replied.

I was changed immediately.

The next morning, I was leaving my best friend's house.  I had been staying with her and her husband while recovering from an operation.  As I walked past Donna, I casually said, "Oh, one thing Donna ... I don't think I've been a Christian until now."  Donna was very excited and said, "Jonie:  What did you just say?  Come back here."  

I had been baptized in water when I was 15-years-old and I thought I was a Christian but now I knew I had been changed.  I was now born again by the Spirit of God.  That made all the difference.  I was never the same again.

Shortly after this, I was asleep in the night.  I was transported into heaven and was merged into the body of Jesus with God and the Holy Spirit witnessing.  (I saw no images.  It was an experience in the spirit.)  A few nights later the exact same thing happened to me a second time.  I was made one with the word of God.  I was on fire.  I cared about nothing but Bible after that.  I was completely changed.

I had no idea I was to be a minister.  I just wanted to read Bible.  It took two or three years before I realized the call of God was on me to be a minister.  I just read Bible and did what I saw to do in that period of time.

One day, by the Spirit, God said to me:  "I have called you and put you in the body of Christ as an apostle ..."  

"Apostle?" I screamed ... "What's an apostle?"

The church group I was attending at that time said there are apostles and prophets in today's church but I didn't know any.  I asked our Sunday School teacher who the apostles were in our church group.  He couldn't tell me.  I asked him what apostles do in the church. He couldn't tell me this either.  (Several prophecies had come by various people saying I was a prophet but this was the first time I had heard of apostle.) God began teaching me about apostles and prophets and the work they do in the church.  I believe I was set into these two offices, apostle/prophet, when I was born again and taken into heaven twice in the night and merged into the body of Jesus.

For the next few years, I continued to operate my business in Dallas but I had 3 women who worked for me at the business and I didn't have to be there except to buy merchandise and do appraisals so I stayed home mostly and read the Bible all day.  God worked with me daily by HIS Spirit.

At the appointed time, around 1979, I closed my business and announced I was going into the ministry full time.  I had no where to go.  I had no assignment.  I just closed the business and stayed in my apartment and read Bible.  I had no income.  I lived off the money from the sale of the merchandise at the business.  That was July 31 ... I stayed by myself in my apartment reading Bible until January 10 when God sent what I believe to have been an angel to speak to me.  It was in the night and I was asleep.  A very loud voice, like a trumpet said to me:  "Hartford, Seattle, KWJS"

Within a week I was broadcasting Christian messages on KWJS five days a week, 30 minutes per day.  This is how I went into the ministry.


From the beginning, God taught me about following the Spirit of God and speaking by the Spirit of God.  Jesus and Paul were the patterns used to teach me what to do.

Jesus said ... Jn. 5 ...  30 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.

Paul said  ... I Cor. 2 ... 1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

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In 2012, in a dream, God showed me to start a blog on Internet and to begin writing messages for the church.  Within 3 days of the dream, we had set up the blog and had begun writing exhortations for the church on Internet.  In the dream, I was shown "It was a little voice but it was a nice little voice."  And indeed it has been a "nice" little voice to the church.  The messages go all over the world daily.  This allows us to exhort the church daily as we are told to do in the following scriptures ...

Heb. 3 ... 7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, 8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. 10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. 11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)
12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; 15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke:howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. 17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.


Heb. 10 ...  22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another:and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 28 He that despised Moses 'law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.


The Internet provides us a way to exhort the church daily!  And we do this daily by the Holy Spirit, speaking as we believe we are led by the Holy Spirit.

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But there are other spirits out there also.  And we are warned by the apostle John ...  

I Jn. 4 ...1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God:because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God:Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God:and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 

The devil spoke to Jesus and tried to get Jesus to follow him but Jesus knew it to be the devil and Jesus resisted the devil by the word of God and refused to follow the devil.

Mt. 4 ... 1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4 But he (Jesus) answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 

5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down:for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee:and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 

8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan:for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

So we who are of God hear from God by HIS Spirit ... but we also hear from the wrong spirit ...

We must be able and diligent to follow the Spirit of God, but to reject and resist wrong spirits.