Thursday, April 30, 2015

II John ... Reading through the Bible

1 The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth; 2 For the truth's sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever.
 

3 Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
 

4 I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father. 

5 And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. 6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.
 

7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 

8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
 

9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. 

10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.
 

12 Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink:but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.
 

13 The children of thy elect sister greet thee. Amen.

Psalm 88 ... Prayers to God & Promises from God to the Church

1 O Lord God of my salvation,
I have cried day and night before thee:
 

2 Let my prayer come before thee:
incline thine ear unto my cry;
 

3 For my soul is full of troubles:
and my life draweth nigh unto the grave.

 

4 I am counted with them that go down into the pit:
I am as a man that hath no strength:
 

5 Free among the dead,
like the slain that lie in the grave,
whom thou rememberest no more:
and they are cut off from thy hand.
 

6 Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit,
in darkness, in the deeps.
7 Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me
with all thy waves. Selah.
 

8 Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me;
thou hast made me an abomination unto them:I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.
 

9 Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction:
Lord, I have called daily upon thee,
I have stretched out my hands unto thee.
10 Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead?
shall the dead arise and praise thee? Selah.


11 Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave?
or thy faithfulness in destruction?
 

12 Shall thy wonders be known in the dark?
and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
 

13 But unto thee have I cried, O Lord;
and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee.
 

14 Lord, why castest thou off my soul?
why hidest thou thy face from me?
 

15 I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up:
while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.
 

16 Thy fierce wrath goeth over me;
thy terrors have cut me off.
 

17 They came round about me daily like water;
they compassed me about together.
 

18 Lover and friend hast thou put far from me,
and mine acquaintance into darkness.



Comments by Joan Boney

Job certainly knew this Psalm.  Jesus knew this feeling as HE hung on the cross and said:  My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?  Mt. 27:46

Certainly I have known low points without understanding why such happened.

But in such times, there is nothing to do but to hang onto God ... thanking God for salvation and for those things we have from HIM ...

And it all turns in time, usually by morning.  But it does turn!

Genesis 33 ... Viewing the works of God through scripture

1 And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men. 

And he (Jacob) divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids. 2 And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost.  

3 And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. 

4 And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him:and they wept. 5 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are those with thee? And he (Jacob) said, The children which God hath graciously given thy servant. 

6 Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves.

 7 And Leah also with her children came near, and bowed themselves:

and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves. 

8 And he (Esau) said, What meanest thou by all this drove which I met? 

And he (Jacob) said, These are to find grace in the sight of my lord. 

9 And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself. 

10 And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand:for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me. 11 Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough. 

And he (Jacob) urged him (Esau), and he (Esau) took it. 

12 And he said, Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee. 13 And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me:and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die. 14 Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant:and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir. 

15 And Esau said, Let me now leave with thee some of the folk that are with me. And he said, What needeth it? let me find grace in the sight of my lord.
 

16 So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir. 

17 And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him an house, and made booths for his cattle:therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.
 

18 And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padanaram; and pitched his tent before the city. 19 And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for an hundred pieces of money. 20 And he erected there an altar, and called it Elelohe- Israel.

Overcoming in all things through faith in God

Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet

I Jn. 4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world:and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

- believing God will help us
- believing God will show us what to do
- believing what God says to us

Two or three years ago, I was eating a bagel and I heard a very loud pop.  It was a tooth.  I looked and couldn't see anything and didn't feel any pain.  I go to dentist every 6 months and dentist has never noticed anything unusual (though they didn't x-ray and I didn't tell them about this).

Recently I had begun thinking that maybe I would tell dentist.  I had begun feeling the tooth and when water hit it, sometimes there would be pain.  And it got to point I couldn't put any pressure at all on tooth and it had begun to fall backward into my mouth.

I began praying... should I tell dentist ... give me courage if I need to tell dentist ... I felt more inclined to tell dentist when I went for tooth cleaning this month.

Also I began feeling that the solution was to pull that tooth.  It is located at the center of my front bottom teeth.

When I showed it to dentist, he gave me some options:

- They could pull the tooth and do some cosmetic work around area to fill in place the tooth had been.
- I could do nothing  and continue to live around the problem
- They could pull the tooth and do braces to fill in the place

I asked him what he would do if it were his tooth.  He said he would pull the tooth and do the cosmetic work after the area healed.  He warned me that they would have to let soreness leave before they could do the cosmetic work and I would be without a tooth for about a week.  I told him that was fine, just me and cat here.

I rejoiced that God helped me.

I had prayed that I would know exactly what to do, and even before going to dentist and hearing options I knew what to do even though I know nothing about dental work.  And when dentist gave options the first option dentist gave was exactly what I thought would be right thing to do.

That is so comforting in making these decisions.

When dentist explained procedure he mentioned possibility of affecting nerves of two surrounding teeth.  This frightened me.  So I prayed that this would not happen.  (For us the answer to all things is prayer.  We cannot afford to try not to think about what was said.  We must take spiritual action.)

Phil. 4 ...  6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

I also prayed that the procedure would go quickly and that it would be smooth and that it wouldn't hurt me.  And I prayed that between now and the time the procedure is done a week from now that I wouldn't think about what was coming.  And I prayed that doctors hands would be guided by God. And I prayed that God would show me what to eat before I go to dentist because the appointment is at 3:30 in afternoon and I might not be able to eat that evening.

... in every thing by prayer and supplication ...

I'm 77 years old ... I really think God put this in my heart to do this dental work.  That also makes me think I won't be dying anytime soon and that fits with my prayers for I want to do this work that I am currently doing in putting OT on Internet.

If I was going to die soon, I wouldn't need the dental work.  But if I live another 5 or 10 years, I think I would need this dental work.

Anchor to our soul

Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet

In Genesis 32, Jacob is returned to his homeland where Esau his brother lives.  The last time Jacob heard of Esau, he was told Esau planned to kill him.  Now God has told Jacob to return to his home where Esau lives.  

Jacob sends word ahead to Esau telling him that he is returning.

Esau and 400 of his men come out to meet Jacob.

Jacob is terrified!  And Jacob begins to pray.  The first thing Jacob does is to call to God's attention that it was God who told him to return to the land where Esau lives...

Genesis 32 ... 9 And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the Lord which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee:10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands. 

11 Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau:for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children. 

12 And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.

In times of trial, it is such great comfort to our souls when we know God has authored that which we are doing. 

Can we say, "God has commanded me."  (Joshua 1:9)

This is a critical anchor.  It was God who told me to do this.

For if God authored our work, God will sustain our work that HE authored.


Wednesday, April 29, 2015

I John 5 ... Reading through the Bible

1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God:and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. 

2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 

3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments:and his commandments are not grievous. 

4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world:and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
 

6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. 

And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. 7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost:and these three are one. 8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood:and these three agree in one.
 

9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater:for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. 

10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself:he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. 

11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 

13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
 

14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
 

16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death:I do not say that he shall pray for it. 

17 All unrighteousness is sin:and there is a sin not unto death.
 

18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
 

19 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.
 

20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
 

21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

Psalm 87 ... Prayers to God & Promises from God to the Church

1 His foundation is in the holy mountains.
 

2 The Lord loveth the gates of Zion
more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
 

3 Glorious things are spoken of thee,
O city of God. Selah.
 

4 I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me:
behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia;
this man was born there.
 

5 And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her:
and the highest himself shall establish her.
 

6 The Lord shall count, when he writeth up the people,
that this man was born there. Selah.
 

7 As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there:
all my springs are in thee.


==========


2 Peter 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.


Revelation 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

Genesis 32 ... Viewing the works of God through scripture

1 And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host:and he called the name of that place Mahanaim. 

(The last time Jacob saw his twin brother Esau, Esau was plotting in his heart to kill Jacob.  Now Jacob is returning to the place where Esau lives because God told him to return. Gen. 31:3)

3 And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4 And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now:5 And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants:and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.
 

6 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him. 7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed:and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands; 8 And said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape.

 

(Jacob calls on God in prayer)

9 And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the Lord which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee:10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands. 11 Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau:for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children. 12 And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.
 

13 And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother; 14 Two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams, 15 Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals. 16 And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by themselves; and said unto his servants, Pass over before me, and put a space betwixt drove and drove. 

17 And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? and whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee? 18 Then thou shalt say, They be thy servant Jacob's; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau:and, behold, also he is behind us. 

19 And so commanded he the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, On this manner shall ye speak unto Esau, when ye find him. 20 And say ye moreover, Behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us. 

For he (Jacob) said, I will appease him (Esau) with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept of me. 

21 So went the present over before him:and himself lodged that night in the company. 22 And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok. 23 And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had.
 

24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. 25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. 26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he (Jacob) said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. 27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. 28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel:for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.  
29 And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? 

And he blessed him there. 

30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel:for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. 

31 And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh. 32 Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day:because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew that shrank.

Most church people are too shallow and presumptious

Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet

Most church people are too shallow and presumptuous .   They read a scripture one time and rejoice ...  they think they have it.

I kept Psalm 1 and Joshua 1:8 before me daily for several years ... I read it many times daily ... though I could quote it by memory, I read it again and again to keep me thinking of the way to go. (I'm going to try to do this again now.)

Look at what is likely to happen if you read a scripture one time and rejoice in that scripture and go on your way on this earth.

Mk 4 ... 14 The sower soweth the word. 

15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. 

16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time:afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended. 

18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, 19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

You have to work to cause the word planted in you to take deep root ... otherwise circumstances of life can pull that word out and make it of none effect.

Here is the way you cause it to take deep root in you.

Joshua 1... 8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein:for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.


Take that word God has given you and you keep it before you day and night and think on that word day and night.  That enables you to get strong enough to do that word.  After you do that word, faith in God, in HIS Word, increases ... and you prosper and have good success in all that you do.

You never stop this pattern of life.  As long as you live on this earth, you do Joshua 1:8 daily.  Then you will prosper in all that you do.

Also you have to do Psalm 1 ...

1 Blessed is the man
that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly,
nor standeth in the way of sinners,
nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord;
and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 


You can't stand in the counsel of the ungodly ... nor the way of sinners ... not the seat of the scornful.

Why do you want to hear what these people would tell you?

The important thing is what God would tell you.  That is life to us.

TV news ... thoughts brought to us by worldly people as they visit and tell their tales based on TV, newspapers and vanity of their own hearts ... how is that good for us?  That is not the way to success and prosperity.

The way to success and prosperity is to meditate on the word of God day and night and to do what God tells you to do.

We have to work at it daily.

Then it becomes our greatest joy to awaken in the morning and see what God would speak to us that morning.  We joyfully look at scripture as a man hunts a treasure buried in a field.  And that man goes and sells all that he has and buys that treasure for he knows it is worth more than anything else that exists.

This is the way we come to live every day.

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

I John 4 ... Reading through the Bible

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.
 

4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them:because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 

5 They are of the world:therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. 

6 We are of God:he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
 

7 Beloved, let us love one another:for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 

9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 

10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 

11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
 

12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. 13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. 

14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. 

15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. 

16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
 

17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment:because as he is, so are we in this world. 

18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear:because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 

19 We love him, because he first loved us.
 

20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar:for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

Psalm 86 ... Prayers to God & Promises from God to the Church

1 Bow down thine ear, O Lord, hear me:
for I am poor and needy.
 

2 Preserve my soul; for I am holy:
O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee.
 

3 Be merciful unto me, O Lord:
for I cry unto thee daily.
 

4 Rejoice the soul of thy servant:
for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
 

5 For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive;
and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
 

6 Give ear, O Lord, unto my prayer;
and attend to the voice of my supplications.
 

7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee:
for thou wilt answer me.
 

8 Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord;
neither are there any works like unto thy works.

 

9 All nations whom thou hast made shall come
and worship before thee, O Lord;
and shall glorify thy name.
 

10 For thou art great, and doest wondrous things:
thou art God alone.

 

11 Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth:
unite my heart to fear thy name.
 

12 I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart:
and I will glorify thy name for evermore.
 

13 For great is thy mercy toward me:
and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.
 

14 O God, the proud are risen against me,
and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul;
and have not set thee before them.

 

15 But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious,
longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.
 

16 O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me;
give thy strength unto thy servant,
and save the son of thine handmaid.

 

17 Shew me a token for good;
that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed:
because thou, Lord, hast holpen me, and comforted me.



Comments by Joan Boney   

O God, the proud are risen against me,
and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul;
and have not set thee before them.  


Those who are proud in their ways do not seek God.  They think it is in themselves, in their own intellect, to know what to do.

Violent was once defined to me by God as those who go out and try to get what they want without any regard for what it does to anyone else.

I frequently cry out asking God to turn them another way, a way away from me ... to turn their minds to think of someone else that they would leave me alone.

And often God will give me a word to speak and when I speak that world, the disobedient flee from me.

Genesis 31 ... Viewing the works of God through scripture

1 And he heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father's; and of that which was our father's hath he gotten all this glory. 

2 And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before

3 And the Lord said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee. 

4 And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock, 5 And said unto them, I see your father's countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father hath been with me. 6 And ye know that with all my power I have served your father. 7 And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me. 8 If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bare speckled:and if he said thus, The ringstraked shall be thy hire; then bare all the cattle ringstraked. 9 Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me. 10 And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle were ringstraked, speckled, and grisled. 

11 And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob:And I said, Here am I. 12 And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled:for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee. 13 I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me:now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.  

14 And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house? 15 Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money. 16 For all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is ours, and our children's:now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.
 

17 Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels; 18 And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padanaram, for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan. 

19 And Laban went to shear his sheep:and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's. 20 And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled. 21 So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the river, and set his face toward the mount Gilead. 

22 And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled. 23 And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days 'journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead. 24 And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.
 

25 Then Laban overtook Jacob. 

Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount:and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead. 26 And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, as captives taken with the sword? 27 Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp? 28 And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly in so doing. 29 It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt:but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad. 30 And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father's house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods? 

31 And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid:for I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me. 32 With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live:before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them. 

33 And Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the two maidservants' tents; but he found them not. Then went he out of Leah's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent. 34 Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel's furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not. 35 And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon me. And he searched, but found not the images.
 

36 And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban:and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me? 37 Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both. 38 This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten.   39 That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night. 40 Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes. 

41 Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle:and thou hast changed my wages ten times. 

42 Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.
 

43 And Laban answered and said unto Jacob, These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and these cattle are my cattle, and all that thou seest is mine:and what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their children which they have born? 

44 Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee. 

45 And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar. 46 And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap:and they did eat there upon the heap. 47 And Laban called it Jegarsahadutha:but Jacob called it Galeed. 

48 And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed; 49 And Mizpah; for he said, The Lord watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another. 

(This is not a blessing but rather a guard against each other.)

50 If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take other wives beside my daughters, no man is with us; see, God is witness betwixt me and thee

51 And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee; 52 This heap be witness, and this pillar be witness, that I will not pass over this heap to thee, and that thou shalt not pass over this heap and this pillar unto me, for harm

53 The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge betwixt us. And Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac. 

54 Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread:and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount. 

55 And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them:and Laban departed, and returned unto his place.

When the singles group at church tried to run away from me

Pam Padgett ... teacher

During the last months of college, I rented a room in a house owned by a woman I met in the singles group of the church group I attended at the time.  This woman had been divorced twice and had a young daughter.  At first she seemed content to remain unmarried and raise her daughter.  But then she started looking for another husband.  I shared with her scripture that tell us that a divorced woman commits adultery if she remarries, such as 

Matthew 5:31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: 32 But I (Jesus) say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery. 

Mark 10:11 And he (Jesus) saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. 12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.  

Romans 7:2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. 3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

After sharing these scriptures, I was shocked when she told me that she didn't care what the Bible says, she knew what she believed.  I moved from her house shortly after this.

The place I moved was quite a distance from where this church group met.  Although I continued to attend the Sunday services and would sit in the area of the auditorium where the singles group sat, I no longer attended the singles meetings. 

Some months later I heard this divorced woman was engaged to a man I also knew from the singles group.  I went and spoke with him, sharing scriptures such as Matthew 5:31-32 showing that they would commit adultery if he married her since she was divorced.  He said he would consider these things, but he did not stop the engagement.

Then I heard that the maid of honor at the wedding was to be a woman I also knew.  I went and spoke with her, sharing scripture about the adultery that would be committed by this marriage.  She said she knew it was wrong for them to marry but they would get married whether or not she was the maid of honor, so she was going to do it.

About this time, I went to one of the Sunday morning services.  I arrived before any of the other singles, and sat in the area where we usually sat.  But no other singles came to sit there.  Right before the service began, I looked around and saw that the singles were sitting a few pews behind me.  I thought this strange, but didn't think a lot about it. 

The next Sunday I sat in the "new" singles area, but they sat in the "old" singles area. 

The following week, I got there shortly before the service began, and went to where the singles were sitting.  Without saying a word, those I sat next to got up and moved away from me.

It was obvious they wanted nothing to do with me, but I had no idea why.  I cried out to God asking what was going on?  Had I done something wrong?  For a few weeks I didn't hear anything, and didn't know why I had become an outcast from the singles.

Then after the service one Sunday morning, a woman I didn't know very well stopped me and said she had a message from God for me.  The message she delivered was that God knew how I was being treated by those in the singles group, and that I needed to know it was because of what I had spoken about this divorced woman remarrying and that this was what HE had wanted me to do.

I was so helped by this message, now knowing why I was being shunned and that it was for doing good in the sight of God.  It was also very helpful to realize so strongly that God was watching over me, and the mercy and kindness God had shown to me in having this woman deliver this message to me. 

Monday, April 27, 2015

I John 3 ... Reading through the Bible

1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God:therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 

2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be:but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
 

4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law:for sin is the transgression of the law. 5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. 

6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not:whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
 

7 Little children, let no man deceive you:he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 

8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. 

For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 

9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him:and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
 

10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil:whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. 11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.
 

13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. 

14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer:and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
 

16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us:and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 

17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
 

18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. 20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. 22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. 

23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
 

24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

Psalm 85 ... Prayers to God & Promises from God to the Church

1 Lord, thou hast been favourable unto thy land:
thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob.
 

2 Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people,
thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.
 

3 Thou hast taken away all thy wrath:
thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.
 

4 Turn us, O God of our salvation,
and cause thine anger toward us to cease.
5 Wilt thou be angry with us for ever?
wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations?
6 Wilt thou not revive us again:
that thy people may rejoice in thee
?
 

7 Shew us thy mercy, O Lord,
and grant us thy salvation.

 

8 I will hear what God the Lord will speak:
for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints:

but let them not turn again to folly.
 

9 Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him;
that glory may dwell in our land.
 

10 Mercy and truth are met together;
righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
 

11 Truth shall spring out of the earth;
and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
 

12 Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good;
and our land shall yield her increase.
 

13 Righteousness shall go before him;
and shall set us in the way of his steps.
  





Comments by Joan Boney  


12 Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good;  

The problem is:  God's view of good and our view of good may not be the same ...

A little child might want to live on chocolate.  The parent might have other plans.

Jesus taught His disciples to pray ... Thy will be done ... (Mt. 6:10)

God's plan for Jesus was the cross.  Jesus prayed three times for this to be removed from Him.

Luke 22:42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

Isaiah 55 ...  8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
 

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
 

10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither,
but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth:
it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please,
and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
 

12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace:
the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
 

13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree,
and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree:
and it shall be to the Lord for a name,
for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

Genesis 30, 35 ... Viewing the works of God through scripture

Genesis 30 ...

 1 And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. 2 And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel:and he said, Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?

... 22 And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb. 23 And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach:24 And she called his name Joseph;

Genesis 35 ...

9 And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him. 10 And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob:thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name:and he called his name Israel.

11 And God said unto him, I am God Almighty:be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; 12 And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.

This pertained to the children of the blessing ...

Romans 9 ...

6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children:but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God:but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. 9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son.
10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; 11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) 12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. 13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
 

14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. 17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. 18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
 

19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? 20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? 21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
 


22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, 24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
 


25 As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. 26 And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.
 

27 Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:28 For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness:because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.
 

29 And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.
 

30 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. 31 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; 33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence:and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

Walk as Jesus walked: How did Jesus walk?

Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet

I Jn. 2 ... 6 He that saith he abideth in HIM ought himself also so to walk, even as HE walked.

How did Jesus walk?

- Jesus always heard from God the Father
- Jesus did only that which God told HIM to do

Jesus said:  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.  Jn. 5:30

You could cast out devils and visit the sick and still be turned away at judgment by Jesus.

It is only if God authors that work that you are justified.

Jesus said:  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you:depart from me, ye that work iniquity.  Mt. 7

Churches often teach the congregation to do good works, telling them to give to the poor and visit the sick and such.

What they should tell people is they must hear from God continually, doing only that which God tells them to do and then the work will be a righteous work and not a "good" work authored by the flesh of man.

I Jn. 2 ... 29 If ye know that HE is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of HIM.  For we do not know what is righteous in the sight of God unless HE shows us to do that work in that specific situation ... and if HE shows us to do something it is right.

Obey God above our own reasoning

Pam Padgettteacher 

Luke 5:1 And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. 3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.

4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. 5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.

6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. 7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

After fishing all night and catching nothing, it would surely seem futile to put their nets back into the water. 

But because Jesus told Peter to go out to the deep water and let down their nets, he did it.  And they saw the abundant fulfillment of what Jesus told Peter. 


We sometimes are going in a way, but then the Holy Spirit speaks to us showing us to go another way.  Because that word is from God, we are turned by that word and go in that way.  It will not fail, and will bring about the purpose of God in the matter. 


My elderly neighbor, Jim, is a widower and lives by himself.  Shortly after his wife died, he fell and injured himself, but was able to get himself to a hospital.  The next time I saw him he said in a kind of joking manner that if I didn't see any sign of him for a few days I might check to see if he was still alive.  Although he tried to make light of this, it was obvious he was concerned.

Jim isn't outside much and it was not unusual for me to not see him for weeks at a time.  But I noticed that early every morning he turned the light on in a room which I could see from my house.  I started looking to see if that light was on each morning. 

One day a couple years ago everything looked as usual at Jim's house.  The light was on, and I noticed his trash can was at the end of his driveway to be emptied by the weekly trash service.

But around 4pm I kept having a thought (from the Holy Spirit) that I needed to check on Jim's trash can.  This seemed strange, but when I looked out of my window I saw that the trash can was still at the end of his driveway.  Jim typically put the trash can back in his garage as soon as the trash service comes in the morning.  I walked over to his driveway and noticed that his newspapers were still there as well.  This, also, was very unusual.  I prayed asking what, if anything, I should do. 

Jim can't hear his doorbell, so I went back to my house and called him on the telephone.  He did not answer.  During this time I remembered that a couple years before I had not seen Jim's light on before going to work one morning.  Thinking he may have just gotten up later than usual, I waited a couple hours then called to make sure he was ok.  Everything was fine, but he seemed embarrassed that I had been bothered with this.  

Looking back, this previous experience affected me when I saw the trash can and newspapers.  Not wanting to over-react and possibly embarrass him again, I tried to convince myself that the trash can and newspapers did not indicate a problem.  Maybe Jim had doctor appointments that day and just hadn't gotten home yet.  I reasoned it would be best to wait a couple hours before doing anything more. 

But immediately a thought from the Holy Spirit told me that it wouldn't do any good to wait

Hearing this from the Holy Spirit, I immediately abandoned my reasoning, and went to Jim's house.  

After letting myself into his house, I called out loudly announcing that I was coming into the house.  A very weak voice responded "Help me"

I found Jim lying on the kitchen floor.  He had fallen more than 20 hours earlier, breaking his hip and making it impossible for him to get up.  (The light I checked each morning had been on since the previous day, and he had taken the trash can to the end of the driveway the previous day as well.)  

I was so glad to have been led by the Holy Spirit to go to Jim's house without waiting as I had planned to do.  Just as the Holy Spirit spoke, it would have done no good to have waited
 
(After 10 weeks in a hospital and rehab center, Jim was able to return home.)

What is the Sabbath for the NT church?

Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet

What is the Sabbath for the NT church?

In the OT God created the heaven and the earth and rested from HIS works on the seventh day.

Gen. 2 ... 2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it:because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

So does that mean the 7th day is the Sabbath?

The important point is the Sabbath is ceasing from your own works as God did from HIS.

The OT has many examples of the Sabbath and the commandments and judgments of God concerning the Sabbath.  Some of these judgments are very shocking.

In one case in OT, a man was gathering sticks on the Sabbath.

Numbers 15 ... 32 And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day. 33 And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation. 34 And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him. 

35 And the Lord said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death:all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp. 36 And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the Lord commanded Moses.

==========

On the Sabbath in OT, they could not gather food ... they had to get their food ready the day before.

They had to cease from all their own works on the Sabbath in the OT as God did from HIS.  This is the whole point of the OT Sabbath, ceasing from their own works.

They rested in their tents in OT on Sabbath.

One time I was at grocery check out and the woman checking out before me was talking to the checker.  This woman said to the checker:  "I can't believe you are working on a Sunday!"

The checker explained that the person scheduled to work got sick and they called her to come in and she had to work.

(It was obvious that these two women attended the same church group.)

The woman checking out kept scolding the checker for working on Sunday.

The Spirit of God came on me and I said to the woman who was scolding the other woman:  "I can't believe you are buying groceries on a Sunday!"

If a person is going to keep the Sabbath as they did in the OT, then not only would you be prohibited from working on "Sunday" but you would also be prohibited from gathering food on "Sunday".  Both would violate the Sabbath in OT.

Ex. 16 ... 9 And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the Lord:for he hath heard your murmurings. 10 And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud.
 


11 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 12 I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel:speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God. 13 And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp:and in the morning the dew lay round about the host. 14 And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. 15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna:for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat.
 


(In NT church, our "bread" that we eat is Jesus, the Word of God.  As we partake of these scriptures, we eat the word of God.  The Word of God is the Lord's supper.)

16 This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents. 17 And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less. 18 And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating. 19 And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning. 20 Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank:and Moses was wroth with them. 21 And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating:and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.

(In the NT church, we should also gather bread of the Word of God every morning that we would be properly nourished by God, day by day.)

22 And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man:and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. 23 And he said unto them, This is that which the Lord hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord:bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. 

(In OT, they were not permitted to gather food, nor to prepare food on the Sabbath.  They were to cease from their own works ...this was the purpose of the Sabbath.)


24 And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade:and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein. 25 And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the Lord:to day ye shall not find it in the field. 26 Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.
 

27 And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none. 

28 And the Lord said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws

29 See, for that the Lord hath given you the sabbath, therefore HE giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.

(They weren't even permitted to go out of their place, leave their tent, on the OT Sabbath.)

So what about NT Sabbath?  Is it seventh day as in OT?  or is it first day of week, a Sunday?

What did the early church do?  When did they gather together?

They met daily in the early church. 

Acts 5:42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.


Acts 2:46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house (eating the Word of God which is bread for us) , did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,

==========

So when is the Sabbath for the NT church?  What day?

The "sabbath" for the NT church is not a day of the week.  The "sabbath" is ceasing from your own works as God did from HIS and entering into God's rest, ceasing from your own ideas and living by that word given you by God concerning the issues of this present life.

Heb. 3 ... 1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. 2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them:but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. 3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest:although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. 5 And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.
 

6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:

7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
 

8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. 

9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
 

11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

The "sabbath" for the NT church is daily ceasing from your own ideas and committing everything to God in prayer and doing that which God shows you to do at that point in time.

Resting in HIM continually.

Mt. 6 ... Jesus said ... 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow:for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

This is the NT sabbath.

==========

Concerning coming together on Sunday ... they certainly did that.  But by scriptures we see they meet daily also in homes of those who belonged to Christ.

Paul says:  I Cor. 16 ...  1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. 2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.

It is not a commandment of God that offering can only be given on the first day of the week.  But this is a way to remember to do offerings.  You are free to give any time you have been prospered, any day of the week.   Paul wanted the meeting when he got there to focus on the Spirit of God and the ministry of the Word.


We see example of a meeting on Sunday where Paul preached til midnight ...

Acts 20 ... 6 And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days. 7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. 8 And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together. 9 And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep:and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. 10 And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him. 11 When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed. 12 And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.

The apostle John spoke of being in the Spirit "on the Lord's day" ... Revelation 1 ... We take this to be on Sunday.

But the truth is the day of the week is not the factor as it was in OT. 

The breaking of bread was the eating of the Word of God regardless of the day of the week.  When they came together, they "broke bread" (taking the nourishment of the Word of God) ... this is the Lord's supper ... The "bread" is Jesus, the Word.

Jesus said:  I am the bread of life.  Jn. 6:35

If you in the NT church are going to call a day the "sabbath" as they did in the OT, then you are going to have to live by all the rules of the "sabbath" of the OT ... 

In the NT church, when they came together, Paul told them to do the following:

I Cor. 14 ... 26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.

These would be the rules of the NT church gathering together.


The early church met in homes.  The word of God could come through any one attending the gathering.

Matthew 18:20   Jesus said ...For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

I see no reason the gathering together can't be by phone.  One time when I spoke by phone with Pam Padgett, I heard the above scripture and knew Jesus was in the midst of the conversation between Pam and I.

We assemble together as we read this blog with the word of God and the testimonies of what God has done in our lives and the resemblance of that which God did in the lives of Abraham and the children of the promise as stated in the Bible.

Certainly gathering in one house would allow for all the gifts of the Holy Spirit to come forth.  And this is desirable.  But if the meeting is set up to prohibit freedom, then the Spirit will be quenched and harm can come forth.

The Lord's day and the OT Sabbath can't be the same for there are different rules set up for the Sabbath and the gathering of the NT church.





Sunday, April 26, 2015

I John 2 ... Reading through the Bible

1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins:and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
 

3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 

4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected:hereby know we that we are in him. 

6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
 

7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. 8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you:because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.
 

9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. 

10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. 

11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes. 

12 I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. 

13 I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. 

I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. 

I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. 

14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. 

I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.
 


15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof:but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
 

18 Little children, it is the last time:and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us:but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
 

20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. 21 I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
 

22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. 23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father:(but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.
 

24 Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. 

25 And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.
 

26 These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. 

27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you:but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
 

28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. 

29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

Psalm 84 ... Prayers to God & Promises from God to the Church

1 How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts!
 

2 My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord:
my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.
 

3 Yea, the sparrow hath found an house,
and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young,
even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God.
 

4 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house:
they will be still praising thee. Selah.
 

5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee;
in whose heart are the ways of them
(HIM).
 

6 Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well;
the rain also filleth the pools.
 

7 They go from strength to strength,
every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.
 

8 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer:
give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah.
9 Behold, O God our shield,
and look upon the face of thine anointed.
 

10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand.
I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God,
than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
 

11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield:
the Lord will give grace and glory:
no good
will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
 

12 O Lord of hosts,
blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.



Comments by Joan Boney

5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee;

7 They go from strength to strength,  

The problems of this life are used by God to conform us to HIS image making us fit for HIM. 


Genesis 30 ... Viewing the works of God through scripture

1 And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. 2 And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? 3 And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her. 4 And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife:and Jacob went in unto her. 5 And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son. 

6 And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan. 7 And Bilhah Rachel's maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son. 8 And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali. 

9 When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife. 10 And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a son. 11 And Leah said, A troop cometh: and she called his name Gad. 12 And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a second son. 13 And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she called his name Asher.
 

14 And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes. 15 And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son's mandrakes. 16 And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night. 17 And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son. 18 And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar. 

19 And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son. 20 And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun. 21 And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah.
 

22 And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb. 23 And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach: 24 And she called his name Joseph; and said, The Lord shall add to me another son.
 

25 And it came to pass, when Rachel had born Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country. 26 Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my service which I have done thee.

27 And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry:for I have learned by experience that the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake. 28 And he said, Appoint me thy wages, and I will give it. 

29 And he (Jacob) said unto him (Laban), Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy cattle was with me. 30 For it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it is now increased unto a multitude; and the Lord hath blessed thee since my coming:and now when shall I provide for mine own house also? 

31 And he (Laban) said, What shall I give thee? 

And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me any thing:if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep thy flock:32 I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats:and of such shall be my hire. 33 So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before thy face:every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me. 

34 And Laban said, Behold, I would it might be according to thy word. 

35 And he (Jacob) removed that day the he goats that were ringstraked and spotted, and all the she goats that were speckled and spotted, and every one that had some white in it, and all the brown among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons. 

36 And he (Laban) set three days 'journey betwixt himself and Jacob:and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks.  

37 And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chesnut tree; and pilled white strakes in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods. 38 And he set the rods which he had pilled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink. 39 And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted. 40 And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstraked, and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not unto Laban's cattle. 

41 And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods. 42 But when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in:so the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's. 

43 And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.

Saturday, April 25, 2015

I John 1 ... Reading through the Bible

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) 

3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us:and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
 

5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 

6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
 

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Psalm 83 ... Prayers to God & Promises from God to the Church

1 Keep not thou silence, O God:
hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God.
 

2 For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult:
and they that hate thee have lifted up the head.
 

3 They have taken crafty counsel against thy people,
and consulted against thy hidden ones.
 

4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation;
that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
5 For they have consulted together with one consent:
they are confederate against thee:
 

6 The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites;
of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
7 Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek;
the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre;
8 Assur also is joined with them:
they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah.
 

9 Do unto them as unto the Midianites;
as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison:
10 Which perished at Endor:
they became as dung for the earth.
 

11 Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb:
yea, all their princes as Zebah, and as Zalmunna:
12 Who said, Let us take to ourselves
the houses of God in possession.
 

13 O my God, make them like a wheel;
as the stubble before the wind.
14 As the fire burneth a wood,
and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire;


15 So persecute them with thy tempest,
and make them afraid with thy storm.
 

16 Fill their faces with shame;
that they may seek thy name, O Lord.
 

17 Let them be confounded and troubled for ever;
yea, let them be put to shame, and perish:
 

18 That men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah,
art the most high over all the earth.



Comments by Joan Boney  

We know how the nations fought the children of Israel as they came out of Egypt.  One nation after another stood against them between Egypt and the arrival at the promised land.  This is symbolic of our journey on this earth as we try to live as God shows us to live.  It is like being in a shooting gallery where one head pops up and would kill us, then another pops us, then another, then another .. That is what life is like.  We are in peace and someone pops up with their ideas and plans which are contrary to the way God has shown us to go and we have to fight that idea down and return to a state of peace and continue our journey.

3 They have taken crafty counsel against Thy people,
and consulted against Thy hidden ones.


When we come to their minds, they discuss us with the people in their midst... "What's wrong with her do you suppose?"  And in the blindness of their mind they try to figure us out.  And they try to figure out how to handle us and how to "straighten us out" in their thinking to make us as themselves.

It is like darkness trying to figure out light.  And they try to conform us to their own image of what they think we should be like as to themselves so we can fit in with themselves.

Lk. 16 ... 19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table:moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 

22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom:

the rich man also died, and was buried; 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 

25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things:but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed:so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. 

The problem is they are dead though they live ... we are alive, though dead in Christ.

They can't understand us though we try to cause them to understand.  It is only if they die while alive that they will be joined to us through Christ.  And we can't cause them to be raised from their dead way of life.  And we can't go in that way for we would have to be dead to Christ to do so.  Therefore there is a great gulf between the children of this world and the children of God.

And our life is hidden from them.  To them, we have no life.  But our life is hidden in Christ, in the Word.

Col. 3 ... 1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

So they work to bring us into their life on this earth.

We work to continue in HIS life, dead to this world and alive to God and hidden in HIM.