Monday, October 31, 2016

Matthew 22 ... Reading through the Bible

1 And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, 2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, 3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding:and they would not come. 

4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner:my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready:come unto the marriage. 

5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. 

7 But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth:and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 

8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 

9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good:and the wedding was furnished with guests.
 

11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 

13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
 

15 Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. 16 And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man:for thou regardest not the person of men. 17 Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? 

18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? 19 Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. 20 And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? 21 They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's. 22 When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.
 

23 The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, 24 Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. 25 Now there were with us seven brethren:and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother:26 Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh. 27 And last of all the woman died also. 28 Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her. 

29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. 31 But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, 32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. 33 And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.
 

34 But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. 35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, 36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
 

41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. 43 He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, 44 The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? 45 If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? 

46 And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.

God has given us power, love, and a sound mind


Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet

After we were born again, our "old man", our flesh is buried with Christ and a "new creation" is born of the Spirit of God.

With that new spirit, The Holy Spirit, comes power, love, and a sound mind.

We are completely different after we are born again.

We enter into the fullness of this new life each time the Holy Spirit reminds us of a scripture or calls our attention to a scripture as we are reading Bible, and we see that scripture and do that scripture.  We are recreated over and over by doing various scriptures shown us by the Holy Spirit.

II Tim. 1 ... 6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. 7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner:but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; 9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, 10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

Power, Love, Sound Mind 

At the time we are born again, we are given the Spirit of God to live in us.  This is great power for the Spirit of God knows the mind of God and reveals the will of God to us so we can go in the way of God on this present earth in each of the issues of this life.

We find there are times God will have us speak HIS truth to the disobedient as we are lights in the midst of darkness.

There are other times we will depart from a rebellious individual by the Spirit of God.

All things are done by HIS Spirit which dwelleth in us ...  for HIS Spirit will remind us of a scripture to show us what to do ... or HIS Spirit will give us a WORD of wisdom, like a light going on in our head to show us what to do ... it just becomes clear to us ... but it is all by HIS Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, and we walk in HIS way by HIS Spirit in the issues of this life.

Now we live in love, not wanting to hurt anyone ... 

Because of God, we now have a wisdom above this world, knowing this present world will pass away ... our mind is no longer fixed on this world but on things above and on pleasing God while we live on this world ... "What does God want me to do?" is our continual thought, for we now serve God rather than serving ourselves.

Therefore we continually overcome in the midst of a very crooked generation through God.

And we learn to wait in peace for Jesus Christ who removes us and changes our bodies into our new bodies for eternal life, gathering us to HIM in the air with those who have gone before us ... with Abraham, David, Paul, Peter, John and all others whom we love though we have never seen them in the flesh ... With Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego ... with Daniel ... with Josiah ... with Gideon ... with Stephen ... with Moses ... with all who have served God and worship HIM.

Romans 8 ... 31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
 

37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through HIM that loved us. 

38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Job 36 ... Viewing the works of God through scripture

1 Elihu also proceeded, and said,
 

2 Suffer me a little, and I will shew thee
that I have yet to speak on God's behalf.


3 I will fetch my knowledge from afar,
and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
4 For truly my words shall not be false:
he that is perfect in knowledge is with thee.


5 Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any:
he is mighty in strength and wisdom.
6 He preserveth not the life of the wicked:
but giveth right to the poor.


7 He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous:
but with kings are they on the throne;
yea, he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted.


8 And if they be bound in fetters,
and be holden in cords of affliction;
9 Then he sheweth them their work,
and their transgressions that they have exceeded.


10 He openeth also their ear to discipline,
and commandeth that they return from iniquity.


11 If they obey and serve him, 
they shall spend their days in prosperity, 
and their years in pleasures.

12 But if they obey not,
they shall perish by the sword, 

and they shall die without knowledge.

13 But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath:
they cry not when he bindeth them.

14 They die in youth,
and their life is among the unclean.
 

15 He delivereth the poor in his affliction,
and openeth their ears in oppression.


16 Even so would he have removed thee out of the strait
into a broad place, where there is no straitness;
and that which should be set on thy table should be full of fatness.


17 But thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked:
judgment and justice take hold on thee.


18 Because there is wrath, 

beware lest he take thee away with his stroke:
then a great ransom cannot deliver thee.


19 Will he esteem thy riches? no, not gold,
nor all the forces of strength.
 

20 Desire not the night,
when people are cut off in their place.


21 Take heed, regard not iniquity:
for this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.


22 Behold, God exalteth by his power:
who teacheth like him?
23 Who hath enjoined him his way?
or who can say, Thou hast wrought iniquity?
 

24 Remember that thou magnify his work,
which men behold.

25 Every man may see it;
man may behold it afar off.
 

26 Behold, God is great, and we know him not,
neither can the number of his years be searched out.


27 For he maketh small the drops of water:
they pour down rain according to the vapour thereof:
28 Which the clouds do drop
and distil upon man abundantly.


29 Also can any understand the spreadings of the clouds,
or the noise of his tabernacle?
30 Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it, 

and covereth the bottom of the sea.

31 For by them judgeth he the people;
he giveth meat in abundance.


32 With clouds he covereth the light;
and commandeth it not to shine by the cloud that cometh betwixt.
33 The noise thereof sheweth concerning it,
the cattle also concerning the vapour.

The New Testament Church: Chapter 2 / Book available at amazon.com

Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet


Apostles and Prophets in the NT Church

After Jesus arose, HE gave to the church apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers … for the work of the ministry … Eph. 4


So who are they? Where are they? What is their role in the NT church today?


I was born again by God speaking by HIS Spirit to me. I thought I was a Christian. I had gone forward and been baptized in water. But my life did not change.

After God spoke to me in 1975, my life changed immediately!

God said to me, “Joan. You know those mistakes you’ve been making all these years? Those weren’t mistakes. Those were sins.”

I was very shocked … I thought they were mistakes…

The change in me was of God. I was given the Spirit of God and that made all the difference.


John the Baptist said …

Mt. 3:11 … I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but HE (Jesus) that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: HE shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: 


I was so different that I would speak and not even recognize I was the one speaking those words for the change in me was so different.


I was definitely “a new creation.”


Paul speaks of this in II Cor. 5:17 … 17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.


After this happened, I was asleep in the night. I was transported into heaven and was with God, with Jesus, with the Holy Spirit. I was merged into the body of Jesus, God and Holy Spirit witnessing. (I saw no images. This was all in the spirit.)


A few days later, the exact same thing happened to me again. I was asleep in the night. I was transported into heaven. I was with God, with Jesus, with the Holy Spirit. Again I was merged into the body of Jesus … made one with the Word of God.


I was really on fire! At the time this happened, I owned a small business in Dallas. I no longer cared about anything but Bible. I went to church constantly. I went to prayer group. I went to all meetings of the church that I could manage. I read Bible constantly, day and night.

I thought I might marry a minister. I had no thought whatsoever that I was called to be a minister. I would have rejected that immediately having been taught in Church of Christ that a woman could not speak in the church.

God had a very big work to do with me to get me from where I was to where I would eventually be in the work in Christ.


I got a young preacher (from Dallas Theological Seminary) to come teach weekly Bible classes at my shop for me, my staff, and any customers who wanted to study Bible.

At the first Bible class, this young man asked me to open the class with prayer. I was horrified. I responded, “I can’t pray with a man in the room.” He said, “You can’t?” I thought this is what they taught at Church of Christ.

I read all the things in the NT concerning the role of women in the church but somehow I missed the scriptures in Acts telling about Philip’s 4 daughters who were prophets. (Acts 21:9) I had never heard of a prophet in the NT church.

One day I sat in my office at my business and wept! Woe is me. There is no place for me in the church. Paul said for the older women to teach the younger women to love their husbands and to care for their husbands and children. But I had no husband nor children. There was nothing for me to do at all in the church, so I thought.

My business was profitable so I decided my role in the church would be to make money and support ministers!

God had other plans for me!

It was clear to all that I was very different. People were frequently saying, “We know God’s hand is upon you.” (I had no idea what that meant.)

I hadn’t told anyone that I was taken into heaven twice in the night … I thought that happened to every Christian.

At some point, it was revealed to me this did not happen to every Christian.

Then all manner of prophecies began to be spoken over me saying I was called by God to be a prophet.

God was also teaching me Bible.

I tried to enroll at Dallas Theological Seminary to study Bible. I wasn’t planning to try to be a minister. That idea never occurred to me. I just wanted to study Bible

The head of the seminary explained to me “gently” that they did not allow woman in the seminary. That was fine with me. But I already had an earned doctorate in Education and had several years teaching experience. Therefore the dean of the seminary said I could come to any of their Bible classes and “sit in” on the class if I would agree to help the young men learn to teach the Bible. He said some of their students were really terrible teachers. I was very happy to do that.

I can’t say I helped anyone. I can’t even say I learned anything about the Bible at the school.

I didn’t understand that God was teaching me and raising me up in the “calling”. I didn’t even know there was such a thing as being called by God.

I was just on fire over the Bible!


In time, God spoke to me and said, “I have called you and set you in the body of Christ as an apostle.” I was very shocked!

Apostle? I shouted. What’s an apostle?

At that point, I set about learning about apostles in the NT church.

I started at the church I attended by asking my Sunday School teacher.

He gave me a vague, meaningless answer.

Then I asked him who were the apostles at our church group? Our church group professed to believe Eph. 4 that Jesus set apostles and prophets in the ministry of the NT church along with evangelist, pastors, teachers.

So who were the apostles in our church group, I asked. Don didn’t know who they were.

At that point, God took me to Acts 15 and started teaching me about apostles and the role of NT apostles in the church.

Acts 15 … 1 And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. 2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.

… 6 And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter. 7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. 8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; 9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. 10 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

12 Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.

13 And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: 14 Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. 15 And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, 16 After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:17 That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. 18 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. 19 Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: 20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.


God showed me apostles in NT church have an anointing from God to enable them to deal with church doctrine and rules of the NT church.

Through the subsequent 30+ years, God has often given me insight to doctrine … which I have shared with pastors and other ministers in the NT church…


And also I was set in body of Christ as a prophet. God showed me the following concerning prophets in NT church.

Hosea 12:13 … And by a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved. 

Prophets are used by God in the NT church to help people get out of various bondages and to help people stay out of traps.

We bring correction and warnings to the church and to individuals in the church.

I’m so glad NT is not like OT. Today all people who belong to God are given the Spirit of God. So they no longer have to seek the will of God through a prophet. They go directly to God through Jesus in prayer.

But God still uses HIS anointed prophets to bring correction to the church and to individuals to help them get free from traps of this world.

There are several examples of prophets in NT.

Agabus was a prophet. He delivered messages to Paul and others. Acts 20

Silas, who traveled with Paul, was a prophet. Acts 15-18


It is not that prophets tell the future, though God might show them something in future. But often a prophet has a type of sensitivity from God and knows the truth about situations before it becomes general knowledge to the church. God gives NT prophets an anointing for the office and the calling.


I was visiting my mother in the town where she lived. One of my relatives, a Baptist woman, and another Baptist met with me at a coffee shop. The other Baptist woman was talking about the new building they were building at the church she attended. She told of one woman in their church group who was so negative and against the project. Alice asked me what I thought might be wrong with this woman and without any thought at all, the following came from my mouth. “Maybe she’s a prophet.”


A woman at the church I attended when I was first born again identified herself as being a prophet.

She told me this story: She was invited by pastor and elders to speak at a church gathering. Pastor and one of the elders had decided to open a secular business together. Ava said when things were wrong, she got sick at her stomach. At the gathering, she spoke and they were going to lay hands on pastor and elder and pray over their new business venture. Ava began to get sick. She slipped out of the room. Everyone else was praying and laying hands on pastor and elder.

Shortly after this, the business failed and pastor and elder were in the US courts suing one another.


I believe prophets are all over … in churches. But often they have no idea they are prophets.

Ephesians 4 … 7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)


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.


Some churches teach that Paul is the last apostle.

I believe Paul to be the first of the NT apostles.

Paul was not like the apostles who walked with Jesus prior to the crucifixion.

Paul was persecuting the Christians after the crucifixion of Jesus, when Jesus spoke to Paul on the road to Damascus. (Acts 9)

I believe Paul is one of those apostle/teachers given to the church by Jesus after Jesus arose as described in Ephesians 4.

And further, in Ephesians 4, we read: And HE gave some, apostles; and some, prophets…

Plural … apostles … prophets … multiple people… multiples apostles, prophets …


But I see these people today … I recognize prophets in various church groups when I meet them.

And I know apostles are there also, though I can’t say I have any personal dealings with any though I would certainly like to.

Mostly, they don’t even know that they are such, is my belief.


We are in very perilous times today in the church and in the world … It seems like “peace” when it is anything but peace, spiritually speaking …

Paul described these times for us …

II Tim. 3 … 1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 

5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 

6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. 9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.

10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, 11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 

14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.



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Sunday, October 30, 2016

Matthew 21 ... Reading through the Bible

1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her:loose them, and bring them unto me. 3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. 4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. 

6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, 7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. 8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. 9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David:Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. 

10 And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? 11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
 

12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, 13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. 

14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them. 

15 And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, 16 And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?
 

17 And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there. 

18 Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. 19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. 20 And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! 

21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. 22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
 

23 And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? 24 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? 26 But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. 27 And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
 

28 But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. 29 He answered and said, I will not:but afterward he repented, and went. 30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir:and went not. 31 Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not:but the publicans and the harlots believed him:and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

33 Hear another parable:There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. 35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. 

36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first:and they did unto them likewise. 

37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. 38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. 

39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. 

40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? 

41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. 

42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner:this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 

43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. 44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken:but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. 

45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them. 46 But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.

The woman taken in adultery ... Jn. 8


Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet

Jesus said to the woman taken in adultery:

"Go, and sin no more ..."  Jn. 8

You cannot continue in your sins and be approved by God.

Job 35 ... Viewing the works of God through scripture

1 Elihu spake moreover, and said,
2 Thinkest thou this to be right,
that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God's?

3 For thou saidst, What advantage will it be unto thee?
and, What profit shall I have, if I be cleansed from my sin?


4 I will answer thee,
and thy companions with thee.
 

5 Look unto the heavens, and see;
and behold the clouds which are higher than thou.
 

6 If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him?
or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?
 

7 If thou be righteous, what givest thou him?
or what receiveth he of thine hand?
 

8 Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art;
and thy righteousness may profit the son of man.


9 By reason of the multitude of oppressions 

they make the oppressed to cry:
they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty.

10 But none saith, Where is God my maker,
who giveth songs in the night;
11 Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth,
and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?


12 There they cry, but none giveth answer,
because of the pride of evil men.


13 Surely God will not hear vanity,
neither will the Almighty regard it.
14 Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him, 

yet judgment is before him;
therefore trust thou in him.


15 But now, because it is not so, he hath visited in his anger;
yet he knoweth it not in great extremity:
16 Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain;
he multiplieth words without knowledge.

The New Testament Church: Chapter 1(part 2) / Book available at amazon.com

Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet


God’s Gifts To The New Testament Church (cont.)

In the Holy Bible, inspired by God, the apostle Paul told us what was to happen in the gathering of the church when we come together as the church.

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.


The apostle Paul said … every one of you have the right in the gathering of the church to present a psalm, a doctrine, a tongue, a revelation, an interpretation … so long as it is edifying … (and orderly)

(We can see in I Cor. 14 that Paul restricted women from disrupting the church by asking questions … for Paul said … 34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. 35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.)

Philip the evangelist had 4 daughters who were prophets. Prophecy is for the church. Certainly we see by this women were permitted to speak in the church when they were ordained by God. (Acts 21:9)


Also Paul set an orderliness concerning the prophets speaking in the gathering of the church:

I Cor. 14: 29 Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. 30 If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace. 31 For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. 32 And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. 33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

Today most churches don’t have any prophets (so they think) and in some churches they even teach there are no prophets in the NT church today.

This is amazing since Jesus gave the churches apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers for the work of the ministry and for the edifying of the body of Christ after HE (Jesus) was resurrected when HE set up the NT Church. Ephesians 4

When I was a new Christian, I first attended a church called Believers Chapel, my best friend and her husband went there. (Most of us follow friends and families to various church groups regardless of the doctrine.)

One of the first things I heard is a doctrine that “tongues” are of the devil. A man who was professor at Dallas Theological Seminary was giving a series of sermons on this subject. I did not care at all about tongues one way or another but a few weeks later I was reading the Bible and saw the following instruction from the Spirit of God by the apostle Paul:

I Cor. 14:39 … forbid not to speak with tongues.


My best friend and I were driving from Denton to Dallas and I said to her, “Hay Donna … did you know Paul said, ‘Forbid not to speak in tongues?’ “

Donna pulled the car off the highway and said, “Let me see that.”

I had a small purse size NT I always carried with me. I handed it to Donna and told her where I saw that scripture. She read it and was greatly surprised since we were going to a church that taught tongues to be from the devil.

We drove immediately to her house. She had many translations of the Bible. (My little Bible was KJV)

We looked at each translation she had of the Bible and they all said the same thing: Forbid not to speak in tongues in the gathering of the Church.

We both left that church for it was teaching things against the Holy Bible.


In the gathering of the church, all things are to be done “to edification” … to build the church, to comfort the church, to instruct the church.

I once attended a church service at a Baptist church. The pastor said he was turning the first part of the service over to the youth group. A young man presented a film of their recent youth gathering. The film showed girls with rollers in their hair and young men running about slapping the girls on the rear end with rolled up towels.

One of my relatives attended that church group and was seated beside me. She was embarrassed and said to me, “I could do without this.”

When the pastor took charge again, he misquoted some scripture, leaving portions of the scripture out.

After the service, I went to pastor and told him I would like to make an appointment to speak with him. He said he had time and we could talk immediately.

We went into his office.

I told him that Paul said when we came together in the church all things were to be done to edification and that presentation by the youth group was not edifying to the congregation.

Pastor said he liked it.

Then I took the scripture he misquoted and showed that verse to him and showed him how he left out ½ of that scripture when he spoke it.

That pastor became very angry and said: “I’ve been doing this 25 years and I know what I’m doing … Where do you go to church,” trying to accuse me.


In reading Revelation and how they did not repent, I thought of this pastor, and others …

Revelation 16 … 8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. 9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give HIM glory.

When a man speaks of himself, of his own thinking, that man seeks his own glory. The man who speaks truthfully of God and truthfully transmits the scriptures seeks God’s glory, says Jesus: John 7:18

Revelation 16:10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, 11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.


In looking for a church to attend, I visited several church groups.

On a Wednesday night, I went to a non-denomination church. Pastor was teaching from John 8 … about the woman taken in adultery.

Pastor said, “And when she was brought to Jesus, she was naked from her waist up.”

I was very shocked!

I looked about the auditorium where about 200 people were gathered listening to pastor say this. They had smiles on their faces. I reached for my Bible but I did not see anyone in the congregation look in a Bible to check what pastor was saying. They just sat there smiling, approving (loving) pastor.

But I turned to John 8 in my Bible and reread this sections of scripture.

John 8 … 1 Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. 2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. 3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, 4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. 7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. 8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee:go, and sin no more.


The next day, I called this pastor. I told him I was in his church service the previous night. I asked him about him saying the woman brought before Jesus was naked from waist up. I asked him to tell me where that is in Bible. He said, “I can’t remember.” I told him it was very important for me to know this and I asked him if he would look it up and have his secretary call me and tell me where that is in Bible.

Pastor became very angry. He shouted into phone: “Well … okay … it’s not in the Bible. Where do you go to church?” (trying to accuse me as the Baptist pastor had done)

Acts 17 … 10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.


At another non-denominational church gathering, pastor was teaching about Sarah and Hagar. Pastor said, “Hagar and Sarah were ½ sisters.”

I had never before heard that. The next day I searched Bible for this information and could not find it. I called pastor. I told him I had been in his service Sunday morning and heard him say this and I couldn’t find it in Bible and I asked him to tell me where that information is in Bible.

Pastor said, “I can’t recall where it is just now.”

I explained it is very important to me and asked him if he would look it up and have secretary call me and tell me.

Again, like the other pastor, he became very angry and said, “It’s not in the Bible …” and he began to try to accuse me.

I have gone to many pastors through the years, asking about doctrine spoken by them in their services.

Each pastor became angry, tried to accuse me and no one showed any shame over their corruption of scripture ..and no one repented… it was just like we read in Revelation 16:8-11 … and repented not of their deeds. 


In approximately 1979, God gave me a very shocking dream as follows. There was a meeting going on and I went into the meeting room and sat down in the one vacant seat on the aisle. A room filled with people were attentively listening to a man who was speaking. Another man entered the room and said, “Stop … wait … can’t you see … It’s too late … it’s already begun…” The first man resumed speaking to the people. I looked out the window to see what was happening. There was a tall pole with a yellow civil defense type warning speaker. A gas was coming from the speaker. It was a poison gas! I was very shocked for the gas was coming from our own speaker. The speaker set up to warn us was killing us. I looked at the man sitting next to me. He had a big smile on his face. He was staring at the speaker. But this man was a corpse. He was dead. I looked about the room and all those people who seemed so attentive were dead people. And as I sat there among them, I began falling asleep. I knew I, too, was being gassed to death.


One Wednesday night after that, I was at church. The room was filled. I looked at the people in the auditorium and was shocked to realize those people were the people shown me in the poison gas dream. This was happening at my own church, the church I had been attending in Dallas, Word of Faith, Bob Tilton, pastor.

I got up immediately and went into the rest room and began praying. I told God I felt HE wanted me to leave that church group so I would leave. But if HE wanted me to come back I would.

I left the building. God didn’t want me to come back. God began unraveling the doctrine that was being taught.

The greatest problem is they were learning to quote scripture which sounds like a good thing. But what was actually happening is they were learning to be their own gods. They were not turning to God but rather were hunting scripture to “stand on”, becoming as God.

It is one thing to turn to God in prayer and be drawn to a scripture by the Spirit of God who knows the heart of God on the matter at hand … but it is quite another thing to hunt a scripture on your own by your own mind to justify what you are wanting.

Jesus said: 39 (you) Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. 40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. Jn. 5:39


Another very shocking dream showing me the condition of the church was as follows: There was a long row of baby bassinettes. I walked down the row and looked into each bassinette at the baby. I was horrified. The babies were terribly deformed. At the end of the row, stood my favorite aunt, a Church of Christ member. She was about 45 years old in the dream. She was fully grown. But on her face were horrible black blemishes.


This aunt told me she knew things were wrong at the church she attended. But she stayed there anyway.


It will not work to stay in a church group where you know things are wrong. You will be affected in a bad way.

I Tim. 5:22 … neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure. 

I Cor. 5 … Paul says … 6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?


If pastor will not repent when you speak truth and if congregation continues to sit in the darkness where the scriptures are mishandled, you must not stay among them. Such will destroy you, too. 



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Saturday, October 29, 2016

Matthew 20 ... Reading through the Bible

1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. 2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 

3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. 

5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. 

6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? 7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. 

8 So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. 

9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. 

10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. 11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, 12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. 

13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong:didst not thou agree with me for a penny? 14 Take that thine is, and go thy way:I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. 

15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? 

16 So the last shall be first, and the first last:for many be called, but few chosen.
 

17 And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, 18 Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, 19 And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him:and the third day he shall rise again.
 

20 Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. 21 And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. 

22 But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. 23 And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with:but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. 

24 And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren. 25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. 26 But it shall not be so among you:but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; 27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. 

29 And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.
 

30 And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. 31 And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace:but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. 32 And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? 33 They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. 34 So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes:and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed HIM.

Be not conformed to this world


Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet

Romans 12:1-2... the apostle Paul says to us ... I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world:but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

When we turn on TV, we see all manner of things accepted by this world, which are contrary to the Word of God.

We find church groups approving all manner of things contrary to the word of God.  (such as men marrying divorced women and approving divorce and remarriage in the church ... some church groups even accept and approve homosexuals and lesbians into the congregation ... and sex outside of marriage is often sitting right there in the congregation without shame and without repentance.) 

The apostle Paul tells the church not to be like this but rather to be transformed by the renewing of our mind to the word of God, the Holy Scriptures.

If we hear a lie long enough, it gets to sounding reasonable.

We must renew our minds to the Bible, the Holy Scriptures, the Word of God ... and we must do this often in our doctrines to keep from being swept away by the thinking expressed by the people around us and by the church groups today.

Concerning divorce/remarriage  ...

I Cor. 7 ...  10 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband:and let not the husband put away his wife.

Mt. 5:32 ... Jesus says ...  But I 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.

Not only is adultery caused by the husband who divorces a faithful wife, but the faithful wife commits adultery after divorce if she remarries, and the man who marries the divorced woman commits adultery. 

None of these things are reasonable to people of this world.  Most church groups today teach another doctrine, approving all manner of divorce/remarriage in their groups. 

But we who are of God must cling to what God has given us in the Bible, the Holy Scriptures which are inspired by God.

We must not accept the thinking of people of this world.  Truth is in Jesus, The Word.

Therefore it is critical that we stand fast to what the Bible says without wavering.

Concerning homosexuals and lesbians:  

Romans 1 ...  18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 
...  21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
...  24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
...  26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections:for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

Throughout the entire Bible, homosexual acts are forbidden.  In the Old Testament this is called "sodomites" and they are cast out from the people of God in each example in the Old Testament.  In the New Testament we see the truth in Romans 1 ... God's thinking ...

Also we see the following telling such people will not inherit the kingdom of God ... (of course if such are born again and repent and refuse such acts, that is another matter ... but they cannot continue homosexual/lesbian acts and inherit the kingdom of God ... as is the same case with adulterers and fornicators and drunkards) 

Proof of the scriptures:  

I Cor. 6 ...  9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived:neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you:but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. 


Concerning sexual intercourse outside of marriage:  

I Cor. 6 ...  15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. 16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith HE, shall be one flesh. 17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
 

18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. 19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price:therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Fornication is a sin different from all other sins.  Fornication is a sin against Christ's own body.

And at the time of sexual intercourse you become "one flesh" with that person ... This puts sexual sins in a category different from all other sins. 

We must be firmly grounded in each of the above scriptures, keeping the doctrines of the Holy Bible, refusing all other reasonings of man.

This means it is critical for us to renew our minds often to these doctrines.  For the world and even the church groups are teaching something very different from what the Bible says on these matters.

I Tim. 5:22 ... neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure.. 

Job 34 ... Viewing the works of God through scripture

1 Furthermore Elihu answered and said,
 

2 Hear my words, O ye wise men;
and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.
3 For the ear trieth words,
as the mouth tasteth meat.

4 Let us choose to us judgment:
let us know among ourselves what is good.
 

5 For Job hath said, I am righteous:
and God hath taken away my judgment. 

6 Should I lie against my right?
my wound is incurable without transgression.


7 What man is like Job,
who drinketh up scorning like water?
8 Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity,
and walketh with wicked men.

9 For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing
that he should delight himself with God.


10 Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding:
far be it from God, that he should do wickedness;
and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.


11 For the work of a man shall he render unto him,
and cause every man to find according to his ways.
12 Yea, surely God will not do wickedly,
neither will the Almighty pervert judgment.


13 Who hath given him a charge over the earth?
or who hath disposed the whole world?
14 If he set his heart upon man,
if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath;
15 All flesh shall perish together,
and man shall turn again unto dust.

16 If now thou hast understanding, hear this:
hearken to the voice of my words.


17 Shall even he that hateth right govern?
and wilt thou condemn him that is most just?
18 Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked?
and to princes, Ye are ungodly?
19 How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes,
nor regardeth the rich more than the poor?
for they all are the work of his hands.


20 In a moment shall they die,
and the people shall be troubled at midnight, and pass away:
and the mighty shall be taken away without hand.
21 For his eyes are upon the ways of man,
and he seeth all his goings.

22 There is no darkness, nor shadow of death,
where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.


23 For he will not lay upon man more than right;
that he should enter into judgment with God.
 

24 He shall break in pieces mighty men without number, 
and set others in their stead.
25 Therefore he knoweth their works,
and he overturneth them in the night, so that they are destroyed.


26 He striketh them as wicked men
in the open sight of others;
27 Because they turned back from him,
and would not consider any of his ways:

28 So that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto him,
and he heareth the cry of the afflicted.


29 When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble?
and when he hideth his face, who then can behold him?
whether it be done against a nation,
or against a man only:
30 That the hypocrite reign not,
lest the people be ensnared.


31 Surely it is meet to be said unto God,
I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more:
32 That which I see not teach thou me:
if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.


33 Should it be according to thy mind? he will recompense it,
whether thou refuse, or whether thou choose; and not I:
therefore speak what thou knowest.


34 Let men of understanding tell me,
and let a wise man hearken unto me.
35 Job hath spoken without knowledge,
and his words were without wisdom.


36 My desire is that Job may be tried unto the end
because of his answers for wicked men.
37 For he addeth rebellion unto his sin,
he clappeth his hands among us,
and multiplieth his words against God.

The New Testament Church: Preface & Chapter 1(part 1) / Book available at amazon.com

Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet


The New Testament Church

There are so many varieties of NT Churches today. Some have pastors. Others have pastors, evangelists, teachers.

Some have apostles and prophets and pastors, evangelists, teachers.

Many churches who say they believe there are apostles and prophets in the NT Church today have no idea who the apostle and prophets are at their church group … nor do they know what apostles and prophets do in the church today.


Our only source is the Bible.

The Bible shows us the role of the offices set up in the church by Jesus after the resurrection.

Ephesians 4 … (after Jesus arose) … 

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.


Some churches teach that Paul was the last apostle.


Is that what the Bible teaches?

Did Jesus give only one apostle after HE was crucified and resurrected?

Or is Paul an example of the first NT apostle?


In this book, we look at the scriptures concerning what the Bible says about the NT Church.




God's Gifts To The New Testament Church


What would it be like in the town where you live if there were no police officers and no judges to rule over secular matters?

Lawlessness … every man for himself?

In the Bible, antichrist is called, “The Man of Lawlessness”. II Thess. 2

Paul said in the last days “perilous” times would come. II Tim. 3:1

In the Bible, we read: After Jesus arose (after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus), HE gave gifts to the church. 

Eph. 4 … 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:


We see evangelists, pastors, teachers … But where are the apostles and prophets?

Why have apostles and prophets been removed from the majority of NT church?

Why do we not hear of them and know them in the churches and know the work they do in the NT church?

In the removal by men of apostles and prophets in today’s churches, we see the lawlessness of antichrist being staged inside the churches, for the role of apostle is like a judge, using Bible and ruling over doctrines by the Holy Spirit of God … and prophets are like police officers, carrying warnings and messages of correction to the churches and to individual in the churches.

Paul said this elimination would happen in the churches and lawlessness would take place inside the churches.

Acts 20 … Paul says … For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.


Paul also warned us that perilous times would come in the latter days …

II Tim. 3 … 1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.


We see this was going to take place in the churches. 

Notice they would have “a form of godliness” … but they would deny the power of the scriptures to rule over the church and they would set up doctrine contrary to scripture inside the church, thus promoting sin and perverted doctrine inside the church.


And Paul told us it would get worse, not better.

II Tim. 3:13 … But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.


You think this can’t happen in “your” church?

When was the last time you heard this preached at church?

The man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery?

I’ve been in various church groups for more than 35-years and I have never heard this doctrine spoken at any church group.


How can that be? Jesus said this. It is reported multiple times in the gospels. Paul also said this in the Bible which is inspired by God.


How can this doctrine be removed and another doctrine set up in our churches today? 

Because our churches today are “latter day” and the man of lawlessness, antichrist, moved in to the positions of authority in the individual church groups and reasoned away the words of Jesus on matters that would offend people so the congregations would grow larger and larger but weaker and weaker.

A few years ago, I attended a dinner sponsored by a museum group. The seating was pre-arranged by the organization. I was seated next to a man who was wearing around his neck the largest cross I have ever seen.

This man identified himself as former pastor at Indiana Street Baptist Church.

He began speaking about their church … He said, “We have a terrible problem. We don’t have enough room to seat all the people who are coming to church. We enlarged the size of our building but we still don’t have enough room.”


I replied: “If you would start preaching what Jesus said … ‘The man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery’ … you would no longer have a problem. About ½ of the people would leave you and you would have plenty of seating."

I got up and left the dinner … not caring to sit by this man.

  
And what did Jesus and Paul say?

Jesus said … Mt. 5:32 … 32 But I 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.

And Paul said the following is a commandment of the Lord for the NT church …

I Cor. 7 … 10 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: 11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.

And to the NT Church Paul explains …

Romans 7 … 1 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? 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.


Ministers of God are called by God and set into the church by Jesus as ministers. They are “gifts” from Jesus to the church.

Eph. 4 … 11 And HE (Jesus) gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;


As time increased, evil men crept into the churches and set up doctrine by their own rule, not by God’s rule. They set up the gathering church by their own way of thinking. They decided which men could speak and which could not speak. They said they were “protecting” the church from evil doctrine.

But their plan of “protection” is not according to Paul’s statement of what must happen when we come together as the church.

Paul said: I Cor. 14:26 … 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.

This way we, the church, would meet and the basic direction would be: Who has a word from the LORD to share today?

The Holy Spirit would be free to speak through whomever HE willed at the gathering of the church. And the body of Christ would be free to function as an entire body.

At one point, on Wednesday nights some of the churches had “testimonials”. I found that so exciting. It was more like a gathering of the church instead of a performance where everything was planned ahead.

How can a church service be planned ahead? Often billboards appear outside church buildings announcing the subject for next Sunday’s sermon.

This ends up man trying to provide for the needs of the congregation by his own fleshly thinking. He can’t know ahead of time what the congregations needs. He doesn’t even know which people will be there Sunday morning so how could he possibly know what they need ahead of time?

The way God planned for the gathering of the church was completely different from what we see today where everything is planned ahead by humans.


God taught me the following: Step out in front of the people and speak what you hear in your ear. Speak what I give you for the congregation.

God took me to 2 examples:

Jesus said … John 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.

Jesus didn’t plan what HE was going to say. Instead Jesus spoke that which HE heard from God.

And Jesus said, “I seek not mine own will …” He wasn’t trying to deal with someone in the congregation by pre-knowledge. Jesus spoke as HE heard from God and that did the work of God in the gathering of the “church”, at the synagogue where Jesus spoke most days, on the streets as Jesus met men, and when men came to HIM where HE lodged.

Wouldn’t you like to attend that type of church gathering?

This is what Paul said the gathering of the church was supposed to be. We would come together and to one would be given a psalm, another would have a revelation, another would share doctrine, the prophets would speak two or three, tongues and interpretation were given. (I Cor. 14:26)

It would take faith in God to do this … You would have to believe God would “feed” HIS people and bring forth HIS word.

The second scripture God used to teach me what to do when I spoke is as follows:

I Corinthians 2, Paul says …

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.


I kept these 2 scriptures (Jn.5:30 and I Cor. 2:1-5) before me day and night for months and thought on them and they caused me to get strong enough in time to do them.

When I went out, I planned nothing. I just got with the people and spoke what I heard from God. God knows what that group needs and HE will provide for their needs when we trust in HIM.

This is what the church gathering should be whether we meet in living room, or at the grocery store in passing, or in a building called “church” building.

The church is anywhere 2 or 3 are gathered in the name of the Lord (speaking things of the Lord) … Jesus says … Mt. 18:20 … For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

When we think about Jesus walking about dealing with those things that appeared by the road where HE walked, we can see the way of God for sharing.

We share, speaking what we hear from God, wherever we are. That is the real church.

Certainly Jesus spoke in the synagogues which were buildings similar to what we know today as “church buildings”, but the amazing thing is Jesus was allowed to speak and to teach in the synagogues.

If Jesus appeared in the flesh today, HE would not be permitted to speak to most churches because HE would not be approved by the men who have taken over the local congregations.


Several year ago, I had the following dream…I went into a very large church building. It was filled with people. There was one seat in the balcony behind a pillar which seemed to be holding up the roof. I sat down in that seat. A woman sitting next to me said, “You can’t see much from that seat …” I replied: “There’s never much to see at these places anyway.”


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Friday, October 28, 2016

Matthew 19 ... Reading through the Bible

1 And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan; 2 And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there.
 

3 The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? 4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife:and they twain shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. 

7 They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? 

8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives:but from the beginning it was not so. 

9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery:and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

*****


Mt. 5:32 ... Jesus said ... 32 But I 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.

If the wife remarried in such cases, she would commit adultery but her husband who put her away would be the cause of her adultery ... and the man who married her who was divorced committed adultery

I Cor. 7 ...10 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband:and let not the husband put away his wife. 

A man could divorce his wife if she was committing fornication.  Mt. 5:32 & Mt. 19:9

The man who married the divorced woman committed adultery, says Jesus. Mt. 5:32 & Mt. 19:9

The wife could not remarry after divorce.  If she did remarry she committed adultery.  Mt. 5:32

*****

Matthew 19

10 His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. 11 But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. 12 For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb:and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men:and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.
 

13 Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray:and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me:for of such is the kingdom of heaven. 15 And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.
 

16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? 

17 And HE (Jesus) said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God:but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. 

18 He saith unto him, Which? 

Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, 
Thou shalt not commit adultery, 
Thou shalt not steal, 
Thou shalt not bear false witness, 
19 Honour thy father and thy mother:and, 
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 

20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up:what lack I yet? 

21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven:and come and follow ME

22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful:for he had great possessions.
 

23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. 

25 When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? 

26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
 

27 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? 

28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 

29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. 30 But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.