Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
There is a "gift of helps" which is a specific gift given to some among the church.
Paul speaks of it in I Cor. 12 ... 27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. 28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
Pam Padgett, in our little church group, has this gift of helps. It is amazing what she does and what she enjoys doing. She enjoys shoveling snow. She enjoys helping people move. Pam transfers all of the writings into proper form to publish on Amazon in ebooks and paperback which requires different forms. Pam keeps the blog going, adding chapters from the Bible daily so we can see these and adding the chapters from the ministry book that is published on Amazon.
Recently we discovered a very helpful application for Kindle tablet and we wanted to let people know about this application by adding this information to the Graphically Illustrated Guide to Kindle which we published on Amazon.
Here is Pam's story of how she managed to get this added to the 3 forms of this book on Amazon. (e-book, color paperback version, black/white paperback version)
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This week (January, 2017), I've been adding a new section to our Graphically Illustrated Kindle Guide book. This book has lots of pictures, and more steps are required to prepare and publish this book than preparing/publishing the ministry books.
It has been nearly a year since we published the Kindle book. I remembered that publishing this book was quite different from the publishing of the ministry books, but didn't remember exactly what was different. I've been praying while working on this, asking God to help me.
One way I was greatly helped had to do with a computer program
that needs to be used before this book can be sent for
publishing.
I remembered that last year it had taken some time to
work through various programs available and find one that works
for our book ... but I didn't remember which program
actually worked. This program was on my old computer (which
is no longer usable), but it wasn't on my current computer. I had
no idea what the program was even called.
I asked God to please help me. A thought came to check my
"documents" folder. Sometimes I'll type up little documents with
information I want to keep and put it in this folder. I didn't
remember typing up information about this needed computer program,
but this folder had been transferred from my old computer to my
current one.
I looked in this folder and immediately saw a document with
information about the needed program!
As I looked at the information in this document, I then
remembered typing this last year and being led to even include
some of the steps needed to use this program. With this
information, I was able to get this program on my current
computer, use it, and to published the book with the new section
added.
This reminded me again of how God knows all things (even little details like this document which I had forgotten even existed!), and that HE is able to help us, no matter what we're dealing with.
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Comments by Joan Boney ...
When we have the opportunity to witness another person operating in one of the spiritual gifts that we do not have, we marvel at the design God gave to the body of Christ. There is no way I could do the things Pam does. If I tried to copy her, God forbid, I will fail. (Some do try to copy others in body of Christ with disastrous results.)
The calling of God and the spiritual gifts appointed by the will of God differ and must come from God HIMSELF. These cannot be copied. They are original works appointed by God.
I Cor. 12 ... 1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
... Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as HE will.
12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body:so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For the body is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? 18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased HIM. 19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?
20 But now are they many members, yet but one body. 21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee:nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. 22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. 24 For our comely parts have no need:but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. 26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
(If you hit your little finger with hammer, doesn't your whole body suffer? Your foot cannot say, "This doesn't pertain to me, this doesn't effect me." ... Thus when one person in the body of Christ suffers, all the body of Christ suffers. And when one member is honored, all members rejoice... We are not separate from the body of Christ when we a members of the body of Christ.)
27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. 28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? 30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
(No ... not "all" have each of these places in body of Christ ... "some" are given these "gifts" for the purpose of helping the church. This is decided by God and the gift is not of ourselves nor our own will but by the will of God for the individual within the church ... but the gift is for the church and to be used by that individual in helping the church itself.)
Romans 12 ... 4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7 Or ministry (serving), let us wait on our ministering:or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation:he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
The spiritual gifts are given to individuals within the church so the whole church may benefit from that gift. The gift is not for the individual but to be used for the church.