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Vol. 3 ... #12
I know whence I came
Jesus knew HE came from God the Father.
Do you know "whence" you came?
Here is a testimony from Pam Padgett, a member of our little church group.
Pam says:
When I was 14 years old a boy in my class died in a motorcycle accident. For the first time in my life I realized that I could die.
I had been raised in the Catholic church and had been taught various things I needed to do to get to heaven. I had planned out my life ... to live as wildly as possible as soon as I graduated from high school and left home, and to live like this until I was about 30 years old at which time I would settle down and do the things I had been taught in the Catholic church so that when I died I would go to heaven.
But when I realized that it was possible for someone at my age to die, I "knew" that I wouldn't go to heaven if I died. And I also "knew" that none of the things I had been taught to do to get to heaven mattered, that they could not help me.
My only hope was God. I pleaded to God to somehow help me.
(At the time I didn't know that salvation is of God and not of our works. But the Holy Spirit put in my heart that only God could save me. Much later I saw in Ephesians 2 what had been put into my heart that day ... Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.)
My parents had a large Bible which we dusted every week, but didn't read. Inside was a bookmark someone had come to the door and left some time before. On the bookmark was the following scripture:
Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take MY yoke upon you, and learn of ME; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For MY yoke is easy, and MY burden is light.
This was very comforting to me and I clung to it in my heart.
At that time I didn't know anything about being born again. I didn't even know this is what had happened to me. But I was definitely different. I began considering what God wanted me to do. This was very important to me. And I was hungry to read what God has told us. There was a small book with the New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs in a drawer. I began reading this at night under the covers with a flashlight.
A few years later I went to college and met a friend who told me she was a born again Christian. We quickly became very strong friends and talked about God a lot. For my birthday she gave me a wonderful gift ... a Bible!
As we spoke I would sometimes say something I had learned in the Catholic church but which was not according to the Bible. She would simply ask me "Where is that in the Bible?" I learned to start proving what I believe by what is in the Bible. (Eventually I left the Catholic church as I proved doctrines I had been taught there to be wrong.)
For some time I had realized that there was something of God "in" me, but I didn't know how to describe this even to my friend. Then one day I saw the following and knew it was the Holy Spirit that was in me. How wonderful!
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? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
*****
Comments by Joan Boney:
Jesus says: I know whence I came. Jn. 8:14
I know "whence" I came also ...
On August 5, 1975, I had been reading a book about sin. (I was about 37 at this time.)
I was baptized in water when I was 15-years-old and certainly would have said I was a Christian, but I was not born again of the Spirit of God. I had gone forward at church but I just didn't want to go to hell and at that church group I thought they said if I would be baptized in water I wouldn't go to hell. So I went forward and was baptized. Nothing changed in my life. I continued my own pursuits according to my will until 1975 when I was reading that book about sin. God spoke to me by HIS Spirit saying, "Joan, you know those mistakes you've been making all these years? Those weren't mistakes. Those were sins."
I was shocked! "Sins..." I gasped.
I was instantly changed ... born again ... a new creature in Christ.
*****
I know of a woman who had gone to church many years but was not a real Christian, not having been given the Spirit of God. She was going down to the basement of her house when something happened. After that she told her daughter and others, "You must be born again."
*****
One of my neighbors told me this story. All his adult life he had hated his father and his step-mother. Then one day, he was just sitting there on his porch and it came over him that it was very futile to hate them and all the hatred he'd had all those years was washed away. I feel certain this man had been given the Spirit of God at that time. (He was a Methodist at the time this happened.)
Later, when I met this man, he wanted to hear my radio broadcasts. At that time I was on radio. He seemed to understand what I was saying. He took a copy of one of my broadcasts to his pastor at Methodist church. The pastor listened and said, "She certainly seems to know a lot about the Bible." Later Gordon went to this pastor asking him something about the Bible and amazingly this pastor said to Gordon, "I really don't know anything about the Bible."
*****
After I was born again, I was sleeping and I was transported into heaven. I was with God, and Christ, and the Holy Spirit. I saw no "images". It was in the spirit. But I knew it was God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. At that time, I was "merged" into the body of Jesus, made one with The Word of God... God and Holy Spirit witnessing. It was wonderful.
A few days later, the exact same thing happened again. I was sleeping and I was transported into heaven. I was with God, and Christ, and the Holy Spirit. I saw no "images". It was in the spirit. But I knew it was God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. At that time, I was "merged" into the body of Jesus, made one with The Word of God... God and Holy Spirit witnessing.
After that, I was really on fire ... all I wanted to do was study Bible and attend church.
A few weeks later, I was visiting with an aunt ... She had always been considered by other family members as very "religious". They would always use her as their "spiritual standard", often saying, "What would Ardath think about this." (They were not born again.)
As I was sitting with her, I heard, "Tell her about being taken into heaven."
I certainly didn't want to do that!
My aunt was a member of the Church of Christ group. They would not have spoken of such "supernatural" spiritual experiences.
But I knew it was Holy Spirit telling me to tell my aunt so I did.
She listened carefully to what I said. A "dreamy" look came on her face. And she said, "Something like that happened to me once ... and it was all golden."
Concerning the "new Jerusalem" ...
Revelation 21 ... 18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
... 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
*****
Do you know "of whence you came"?
If you don't, are you born again of HIS Spirit or are you just imitating other people whom you consider to be religious.
Jude ... 17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18 How that they told you there should be mockers (imitators copying religious people) in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. 19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
This just won't work.
Jesus said ... Jn. 3 ... 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.