Wednesday, May 31, 2017

BOOK: New Testament


Revelation 2

 
1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; 

These things saith HE that holdeth the seven stars in HIS right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; 

2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: 3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for MY name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. 

4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 

5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. 

6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 

7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; 

To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. 

Overcome:  
   - succeed in dealing with problems or difficulty
   - conquer implies gaining mastery over
   - succeed in controlling or dealing with something


*****


8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; 

These things saith the FIRST and the LAST, which was dead, AND IS ALIVE

9  I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. 

10  Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. 

11  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

*****

12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write;

These things saith HE which hath the sharp sword with two edges; 

13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast MY name, and hast not denied MY faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was MY faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth. 

14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. 

15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. 

16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of MY mouth. 

17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; 

To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. 

*****

18 And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; 

These things saith the Son of God, who hath HIS eyes like unto a flame of fire, and HIS feet are like fine brass; 

19 I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. 

20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. 21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. 22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. 23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am HE which searcheth the reins and hearts: 

and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.  

24 But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. 25 But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. 

26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth MY works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of MY Father. 28 And I will give him the morning star. 

29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Rain from God


Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet

Some days it seems there is nothing, a dry time.  In such we feel dead.  There is no life for us, even when we read scripture.  Where is the Holy Spirit? we wonder. 

Then there will be a little something but it is so little it is hard to consider there is something there is in that scripture.

It reminds me of the following story:

I Kings 18:41-46    And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.  (They were in midst of drought.)

So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,

And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. (any clouds?) 

And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing.

And he (Elijah) said, Go again seven times.

And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand.

And he (Elijah) said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.

Elijah had already told Ahab "there is the sound of abundance of rain" when there was no rain. v 41

Now Elijah tells Ahab to get down from the mountain before the rain stops him.  Again there is no rain at the moment Elijah delivered that message.

The then following happens.

And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.
And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel

When you read Bible and there is a little something in a verse, stop and focus on that verse.  It is likely there is a big rain in that verse and the Holy Spirit causes that rain from God to water your earth.

Also we must endure during the dry moments, forcing ourselves to remember the times God revealed HIMSELF to us.

Action for me is easy.  It is the walking that can be more trying.

Isaiah 40:29-31    HE giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might HE increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Like eagles, we catch the wave of that scripture and soar through the air effortlessly.


Warning From the Holy Spirit


Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet

May 30, a scripture that stood out to me when I read the blog the previous day was called to my mind by the Holy Spirit.

It is a warning to us.

Jude 3-5   Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

You can start out believing a scripture but then allow that same scripture to be explained away as "unimportant" or by thinking you have more light now and therefore explain that scripture away with those appointed to destruction, thus grouping yourself with them.

As I looked at this again this morning, another scripture was called to my attention, also a warning to us.

Matthew 24   But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

It is easy to fight when there is a war.  The danger is greater when there is peace and you have opportunity to fall asleep.

Sometimes we will have a little spark, enough to ignite us if we will pay attention and look into it.

When I saw this scripture in Jude, there was such a spark.

I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

I did think on it.  Then the next morning it was back again, even before I got out of bed.

I stopped immediately and thought about it and the Holy Spirit connected that scripture to the two preceding verses in Jude.

earnestly contend for the faith

For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

These men come in explaining away various portions of scripture, saying it's okay for the divorced woman to remarry, especially if her husband is committing fornication.  Ignoring the scripture telling the man he will commit adultery if he marries a divorced woman.  Therefore permitting both the man and the woman in such cases to commit adultery.

I've heard it taught at church that a woman can remarry if her husband was committing fornication.

This is a misuse of what Jesus said in Mt. 5:32.

Jesus said:  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.


But Jesus was speaking this scripture to the men, not to the women.

When you read I Cor. 7, the apostle Paul makes it clear that the commandment of the Lord for the women in the NT church is as follows.

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

Fleshly minds will reason the rules are the same for men and women, thus casting aside both Matthew 5:32 & I Cor. 7:10-11.

But if you go by exactly what was said in these two scripture and live by those instructions, you see those two scripture say exactly the same thing.


*****

We must "earnestly contend for the faith" by clinging to the scriptures by the Holy Spirit for there are many antichrists among us in the churches today.

And we have the warning of how dangerous it will be in the last days.  People will grow bored and it will all begin to seem meaningless and they will say to themselves, "What's the use?"  and they will give up and accept  those things they once held fast against.  This is the warning Jesus gives in Mt. 24.  They will return to eat and drink with the drunken and by doing so they cast everything away and buy for themselves destruction.  And they begin to take pleasure in those evil doers though they once held such was wrong.

II Thess. 2:10-12   And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

So the bottom line is this:

I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

*  But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.


*****


Ehau

(Comments by Joan Boney)

Before the kings of Israel, there were judges, raised up by God to deliver the people of God who did evil in the sight of God.  As long as that judge, appointed by God, ruled, the people were kept in place but after that judge died, the people rose up to do evil again until God raised up another judge to be deliverer.

In the NT, judges over doctrine are apostles, appointed to that ministry office.  (See:  Acts 15)

After Jesus arose, HE gave gifts to the church.  Eph. 4 ... He gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists and some pastors and teachers for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.

The apostle Paul said ... Acts 20:29-30 ... For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.




*****

Ehud


Judges 2  

1-4   And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break MY covenant with you.

And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed MY voice: why have ye done this?

Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.

And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.


11-19   And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:

And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.

And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.

And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and HE delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and HE sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.

Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.

Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.

And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; but they did not so.

And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the LORD because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.

And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.

Judges 3 

15-31   So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.

But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.

But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh.

And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man.

And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people that bare the present.

But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king:

who said, Keep silence.

And all that stood by him went out from him.

And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat.

And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly: And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out.

Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them.

When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlour were locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber.

And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlour; therefore they took a key, and opened them: and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.

And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Seirath.

And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them.

And he said unto them, Follow after me: for the LORD hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.

And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valour; and there escaped not a man.

So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years. (80 years rest)

And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel.

*****

And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars

Why do we who are of God want to hear what the inhabitants of this land say?  Why would we want to know what they think?  They are flesh and not spirit.  They are not God.  Why would we care or even want to hear their words?

And those things they worship... their alters, their sayings which they love to say ... if we should hear such, surely we don't tolerate it without tearing them down. 

I once went to lunch with a woman who loved to speak things of this world as if their saying were truth.  I would hear her speak, and then I would say:  "That's not in the Bible."  Showing her what I want to build on is that which God speaks.

If they speak to us, we tear down their alters.

Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.

If you keep silent when they speak, then God will not drive them out from you.  But if you speak the word of God from the Bible to them after they exalt themselves, they will leave you for the word will drive them out.

Why do you want to keep them around you?

To do so will have them as thorns in your sides.  And their gods of this world and of their own imaginations will be a snare to you ... a trap to keep you bottled up.

*   And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.

Each of us who belong to God, being born again of HIS Spirit, remember what we were before we were born again.  Do you want to be that again?  The only way you can be with people not of the Spirit is to bow down to their gods, to their ideas.  Is that really what you want?  After having tasted the good things of God how can you want to return to the world?

And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and HE delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and HE sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.

One of the worst things I can think of is to have people of this world ruling over me.  Why would you want that?

And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.

Today we have the Holy Spirit in us unless we are reprobate.  If we insist on our own way and our preferences, God could turn us over to a reprobate mind, a mind without God's judgment, so we could go in our own way even though we once had the Holy Spirit.  Remember Saul?  He had the Holy Spirit but he would not obey God.  He would not do all that God said.  So God removed HIS Spirit from Saul and gave him an evil spirit to live in him.  The apostle Paul speaks to the NT church about those who are given over to a reprobate mind.  Romans 1 & II Cor. 13

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;

21-22   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. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
28-32   And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Do you really have pleasure in the ungodly?  Or do they vex you when they speak and when you see what they do?  Why are you trying to walk with them?  Speak the word of God and free yourself.  Let them leave you. 

II Cor. 13:5   Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?


*****

Ebook:  Faith Building Moments from the Old Testament and Today ... Joan Boney & Pam Padgett... Amazon.com


BOOK: Exhortations


Amazon.com
e-Book & paperback



Volume 6 ... #13 
Settle It In Your Heart Not To Meditate Beforehand On What You Will Speak


Luke 21 ... Jesus says ... Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.



*****

The Holy Spirit in us is greater than the spirit that is in the world.

Often before I arrive at an appointment or go out into the world, I am praying, "Please have me speak only that which YOU want me to speak." 

Before a worker arrives at my house, I often pray this, asking God to have me speak only that which God wants.

Then when a subject comes up and I have truth from God, I try to speak that truth, believing that truth will do the work intended by God in the moment at hand.

We "magnify" Jesus (the Word) this way.

BOOK: Psalms


Amazon.com
e-Book & paperback




* Psalm 92


It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto THY name, O MOST HIGH:

To shew forth THY lovingkindness in the morning, and THY faithfulness every night,
 

Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound.
 

For THOU, Lord, hast made me glad through THY work:

I will triumph in the works of THY hands.
 

O Lord, how great are THY works! and THY thoughts are very deep.

A brutish man knoweth not; neither doth a fool understand this. When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed for ever:

But THOU, Lord, art MOST HIGH for evermore.
 
For, lo, THINE enemies, O Lord, for, lo, THINE enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.

But my horn shalt THOU exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil.
 

Mine eye also shall see my desire on mine enemies, and mine ears shall hear my desire of the wicked that rise up against me.

The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. 

They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; To shew that the Lord is upright: HE is my ROCK, and there is no unrighteousness in HIM.


Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Warnings to us From the Holy Spirit


Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet

A few moment ago, a scripture that stood out to me when I read the blog yesterday was called to my mind by the Holy Spirit.

It is a warning to us.

Jude 3-5   Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

As I looked at this again this morning, another scripture was called to my attention, also a warning to us.

Matthew 24   But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

It is easy to fight when there is a war.  The danger is greater when there is peace and you have opportunity to fall asleep.

Sometimes we will have a little spark, enough to ignite us if we will pay attention and look into it.

Yesterday when I saw this scripture in Jude, there was such a spark.

I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

I did think on it yesterday.  This morning it was back again, even before I got out of bed.

I stopped immediately and thought about it and connected it to the two preceding verses in Jude.

earnestly contend for the faith

For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

These men come in explaining away various portions of scripture, saying it's okay for the divorced woman to remarry, especially if her husband is committing fornication.  Ignoring the scripture telling the man he will commit adultery if he marries a divorced woman.  Therefore permitting both the man and the woman in such cases to commit adultery.

I've heard it taught at church that women can remarry if their husband was committing fornication.

This is a misuse of what Jesus said in Mt. 5:32.

Jesus said:  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.


But Jesus was speaking this scripture to the men, not to the women.

When you read I Cor. 7, the apostle Paul makes it clear that the commandment of the Lord for the women in the NT church is as follows.

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

We must "earnestly contend for the faith" by the Holy Spirit for there are many antichrists among us in the churches today.

And we have the warning of how dangerous it will be in the last days.  People will grow bored and it will all begin to seem meaningless and they will say to themselves, "What's the use?"  and they will give up and accept  those things they once held fast against.  This is the warning Jesus gives in Mt. 24.  They will return to eat and drink with the drunken and by doing so they cast everything away and buy for themselves destruction.  And they begin to take pleasure in those evil doers though they once held such was wrong.

II Thess. 2:10-12   And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

So the bottom line is this:

I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

*  But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.


BOOK: New Testament


Revelation 1


1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him (to John), to shew unto HIS servants things which must shortly come to pass; and HE sent and signified it by HIS angel unto HIS servant John: 2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he (John) saw.

Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: 

for the time is at hand.

*****

John to the seven churches which are in Asia: 

Grace be unto you, and peace, from HIM WHICH IS, and WHICH WAS, and WHICH IS TO COME; and from the seven Spirits which are before HIS throne; 

5 And from Jesus Christ, who is THE FAITHFUL witness, 

and the first begotten of the dead, 

and the prince of the kings of the earth. 

Unto HIM that loved us, and washed us from our sins in HIS own blood, 

6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and HIS Father;

to HIM be glory and dominion for ever and ever. 

Amen. 

***** 

7 Behold, HE cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see HIM, and they also which pierced HIM: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of HIM. 

Even so, Amen. 

*****


I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, WHICH IS, and WHICH WAS, and WHICH IS TO COME, the Almighty.


*****


9  I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. 

10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me A GREAT VOICE, as of a trumpet, 

11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea

12  And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; 

13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks ONE like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. 14 HIS head and HIS hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and HIS eyes were as a flame of fire; 15 And HIS feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and HIS VOICE as the sound of many waters. 

16 And HE had in HIS right hand seven stars: and out of HIS mouth went a sharp twoedged sword

and HIS countenance was as the sun shineth in HIS strength. 

17 And when I saw HIM, I fell at HIS feet as dead. 

And HE laid HIS right hand upon me, saying unto me, 

Fear not; I am the FIRST and the LAST: 

18 I am HE that LIVETH, and was dead; 

and, behold, I am ALIVE for evermore, 

Amen; 

and have the keys of hell and of death. 


*****


19  Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter

20  The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. 

The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: 

and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

Is God with You?


Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet

When the children of Israel were defeated it was because God was not with them in what they were trying to do.

When they sought God, to see why they failed, God sometimes showed them sin in the congregation ... When they judged that sin and dealt with the person and stopped the evil among them, then God was with them again.

When they sought God and heard what HE wanted them to do and followed directions given by God, they succeeded.

The question to ask ourselves is:

Did God tell me to do this?

If you can answer, "Yes", then you have a strong anchor and a real basis for faith and a basis for your prayers.  God is with you in what you are doing?  That is all that matters.

In Joshua 1, God says:  Have not I commanded thee?

That is the question for us to ask ourselves in that which we are doing.  Until we can answer this, we need to pray, waiting on God to establish us in the way to go.

The Old Testament examples we have been reading show us what happens when God is with us.

Goliath was a giant.  He had armor and a sword.  He even had an armor bearer going before him with a shield.  Had David tried to attack Goliath by a sword, would it have worked?  Saul dressed David in his armor and sword, but David said,   I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.

I Sam. 17:40    And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.

Here is the way Goliath was dressed:

I Sam. 17:5-7   And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders. And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him.

There was a soft spot which was unprotected ... and that was Goliath's forehead.  The stone hurled by David sailed through the air with velocity because of the sling shot he was using.  It hit Goliath in the exact spot where he was vulnerable.

I Sam. 17: 42-47   And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him. And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance. And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.

Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.

This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD'S, and HE will give you into our hands.

49   And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.

Regardless of the problem, God has the solution when  HE is with the project.

We come back to the all important question:  Did God tell me to do this?

Above all, we must continue to live our lives God's way.  When the Word is the only thing that matters to us, upholding the Word not our own flesh nor the flesh of others, miracles happen.

It reminds me of when I visited my mother and saw Zodiac mugs in her cabinet.  I had given those mugs to her before I was born again.  But now I am born again and I see those mugs.  Without any hesitation at all, I took the mugs off the shelves and began putting them into a garbage bag.   When my mother realized what I was doing she cried out:  "What are you doing?  You gave those to me.  I want to keep them."  I paid no attention at all to her words.  I took the bag containing the Zodiac mugs to the alley where the dumpster was sitting.  I slammed the bag hard against the side of the dumpster, breaking the mugs.  Then I threw the mugs into the dumpster.

I returned to my mother house, and without a word got a Bible and read aloud the following to her:

Deut. 18:9-13  When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee. Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.

There were a few seconds of silence.  Then my mother said, "Well ... I guess we'd better not do that any more."  (All her life prior to this she had delighted in reading horoscopes.)  I think my mother was born again at that time.

We are the light and we do not live in darkness.  If they are around us in darkness, we turn on the light.  We do not pacify their flesh, nor our own feelings siding with flesh.  We exalt God in front of them.

I find the Old Testament examples strengthening to me.

*****


We have our own battles as we live on this earth. 

In publishing our books, we ran into a problem.  Amazon has a rule that if the book has 60% public domain material (which would be scripture in our case), it cannot be in their Kindle Unlimited program which allows the book to be given as a free book 5 days per 90 day cycle around the world.

It is very helpful to be able to give the book away.  When we can do this, we get on lists of free books and have more opportunity to be visible.

We have just published a book, Faith Building Moments from the Old Testament and Today.  As we began compiling the book, I talked to God about the free book requirement.  At that time, the book was about 90% scripture so it didn't seem possible that we could meet Amazon's requirement and get into the free book program.  I just kept talking to God about the problem.  Then the idea came to add Bonus Chapters selected from the volumes of Exhortation books.  These qualify for non-public domain. I went though all the exhortation books and selected chapters to print along with the Old Testament chapters.  By doing this, we were able to qualify and place the book in the free book program through Kindle Unlimited. Also the person who purchases the Faith Building Moments book has the opportunity to read many current exhortations which edify the NT church today.




The Philistine Idol, Dagon, Cannot Stand Against God

The ark of the covenant contained the Word of God, the two tablets upon which God wrote HIS Word to the children of Israel.  As long as the ark of the covenant was with them, they prospered.  God was with them.

In NT, as long as we live in the Word of God, as children of God, following the Spirit of God, we succeed.  When we go off in our own way, we bring much trouble upon ourselves.

When we return to God through prayer and obey what HE says, we succeed.



1 Samuel 4

1-5  Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Ebenezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.   And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.  

And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.   

So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.   

And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.   


*****

(Comments by Joan Boney)


When God enters, it is exciting!

A young man described the Bible as "legalistic."

I was so grieved when I heard this.  I turned to God and said, "This really troubles me."

Later that day the Holy Spirit brought the following to my mind.

Mt. 7:13-14 ... Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

I was so joyful and excited!

When God enters, we shout for joy for God is life and excitement.

The world wants freedom to sin.  God sets up HIS word to keep us from those sins.  The darkness of sin is destructive.  The light is life and God is total light and rejoicing to us.

And there is no way we are going to be defeated when God is with us.   So when God came into the camp, they all shouted with joy.  We should know exactly what that feels like! 



*****


I Samuel 4

6-11  And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the Lord was come into the camp.  

And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp.

And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore.   Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.   Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight. 

And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen. 

How could Israel be smitten?  The ark of God is in the camp.  But there is a prophecy spoken against the two sons of Eli because they were wicked and Eli did not restrain his sons. (I Sam. 2:27-34)  God fulfills that prophecy in this defeat of Israel.  The two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are slain and the Philistines carry away the ark of God.  They will set the ark of God beside their god Dagon.  Here is that story.
 

And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.


1 Samuel 5

1-12  And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod.   

When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon (their god), and set it by Dagon.  

And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the Lord.

And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.   

And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him.   Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon's house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.

But the hand of the Lord was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and HE destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, even Ashdod and the coasts thereof.   

And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us: for HIS hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god.

They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? 

And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about thither.  

And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the Lord was against the city with a very great destruction: and HE smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts. 

Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people.

So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to HIS own place, that it slay us not, and our people: for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.   And the men that died not were smitten with the emerods: and the cry of the city went up to heaven.


1 Samuel 6 


1-12  And the ark of the Lord was in the country of the Philistines seven months.   

And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do to the ark of the Lord? tell us wherewith we shall send it to HIS place.   

And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but in any wise return HIM a trespass offering: then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why HIS hand is not removed from you.   

Then said they, What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to HIM? 

They answered, Five golden emerods, and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines: for one plague was on you all, and on your lords.   Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and images of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure HE will lighten HIS hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.

Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when HE had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed?   

Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them:   And take the ark of the Lord, and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which ye return HIM for a trespass offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go.   

And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Bethshemesh, then HE hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not HIS hand that smote us: it was a chance that happened to us. 

And the men did so; and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home:   And they laid the ark of the Lord upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their emerods.   And the kine took the straight way to the way of Bethshemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Bethshemesh.   

13-15 And they of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.   

And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the Lord.  

And the Levites took down the ark of the Lord, and the coffer that was with it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone: and the men of Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the Lord. 

In OT the Levites were the ones approved to handle the things of God.  II Samuel 6, they were moving the ark of God and the cart slipped and Uzzah reached up to steady the ark and God killed him.  Uzzah was not appointed by God to handle the ark.  So when they dealt with the ark of God, they had to do such in a specific way even though they were the children of Israel.  I think you have to be careful in NT church concerning the way you handle the Word of God which is equivalent to the ark of God in OT.  And I think those persons who try to be NT ministers without being ordained and anointed and called by God to do so will be severely judged at some point in time.  For Jesus gave these "gifts" of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher to the church and unless the person is ordained by God to do the work, he will be operating by his own willful flesh.  Thus Jesus said in the last days "many" would come in HIS name saying Jesus is the Christ and would deceive manyMt. 24:4-5
  

I Samuel 6

19-21  And HE (God) smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord, even HE smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men  (50,070 men killed by God): and the people lamented, because the Lord had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter.   

And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? and to whom shall he go up from us?

And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjathjearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the Lord; come ye down, and fetch it up to you.

1 Sam. 7:1-2  And the men of Kirjathjearim came, and fetched up the ark of the Lord, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the Lord. 

And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjathjearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.



*****

Here is the story of the man who was killed by God because he was not authorized by God to handle the ark and he thought he was doing a good thing by steadying the ark but God's anger arose and HE killed this man.


2 Samuel 6

1-5  Again, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.   And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the Lord of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims.   

And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart.  

And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab which was at Gibeah, accompanying the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark.  

And David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals.  

6-11  And when they came to Nachon's threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it.   And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.   

And David was displeased, because the Lord had made a breach upon Uzzah: and he called the name of the place Perezuzzah to this day.   And David was afraid of the Lord that day, and said, How shall the ark of the Lord come to me?  

So David would not remove the ark of the Lord unto him into the city of David: but David carried it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite.   

And the ark of the Lord continued in the house of Obededom the Gittite three months: and the Lord blessed Obededom, and all his household.  

12-19  And it was told king David, saying, The Lord hath blessed the house of Obededom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obededom into the city of David with gladness.   

And it was so, that when they that bare the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings.  

And David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.  

So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.  

And as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal Saul's daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.  

And they brought in the ark of the Lord, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.  

And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts.   And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men, to every one a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. So all the people departed every one to his house.  

20-23  Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel to day, who uncovered himself to day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself!  

And David said unto Michal, It was before the Lord, which chose me before thy father, and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel: therefore will I play before the Lord.   And I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight: and of the maidservants which thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honour.  

Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death. 



*****


(Comments by Joan Boney)

The handling of the ark of God parallels the handling of the Word of God.

It is a very serious matter to handle the Word of God incorrectly... to eat and drink incorrectly as you handle scripture.

The eating and drinking of the Word of God is the Lord's supper.  (not crackers and grape juice which have no power)

There is a penalty if you handle the Word of God incorrectly.

The apostle Paul explains:

I Cor. 11 

28-31   For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep (die).

For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

As we read the Bible, or as we consider those words spoken to our mind by the Holy Spirit, we judge ourselves also by that Word.  We make appropriate changes to our lives by that Word.  It is the power of God.

*****

Ebook:  Faith Building Moments from the Old Testament and Today ... Joan Boney & Pam Padgett... Amazon.com


BOOK: Psalms


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* Psalm 91


He that dwelleth in the secret place of THE MOST HIGH shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
 

I will say of the Lord,

HE is my refuge and my fortress: MY God; in HIM will I trust. 

Surely HE shall deliver thee from the snare (traps) of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
 

HE shall cover thee with HIS feathers, and under HIS wings shalt THOU trust: HIS truth shall be THY shield and buckler. 

THOU shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
 

A thousand shall fall at THY side, and ten thousand at THY right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
 

Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even THE MOST HIGH, thy habitation;

There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

For HE shall give HIS angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
 

Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

GOD says:

Because he hath set his love upon ME, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known MY name. He shall call upon ME, and I will answer him:

I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

BOOK: Exhortations


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Volume 6 ... #12 
We Shine As Light In The Midst Of A Perverse Nation



The apostle Paul said ...

Phil. 2 ... 14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.



*****


Perverse:  the alteration of something from its original meaning to a distortion or corruption of what was first intended ...turned away from what is right ... 

Speaking the truth in love ... desire for the person to be helped and saved from the destructions.

II Timothy 4 ...  2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.


*****

Be instant:  Do not plan ahead what you will say to another person. 

Instead put your trust in God and follow HIS Spirit when you converse with another.  When the subject arises, then speak the truth about that subject.  This is the will of God and the exact subject needed.  Just go through the doors that are opened.

Speak with a pure heart ... no bones to pick!

(Eliminate past griefs by going to God before you meet with the person, forgiving that person, and asking God to give you a good heart toward that person.)

Keep your heart pure, not trying to do anything to the other person to set that person straight in your way of thinking.  

God knows what is needed.  

As the opening is there, then speak truth from God on the subject at hand. 


*****

September 2016:  I was in furniture store where I was selecting chairs to replace worn out chairs.  I was walking about store, looking at various items when a sales person began speaking to me.  I don't know exactly how this happened but somehow she began speaking to me about way of living.  I told her one thing I am very careful to do is not to allow my wrath to continue past sundown.  I turn to God when I am angry and ask HIM to please help the situation be settled before dark.  And God always makes that happen.

(light in the midst of a perverse and crooked nation)

The saleswoman stopped dead in her tracks.  Then she reached out and took the arm of another customer and pulled her toward us and said, "Listen to this ... listen to what she says ..." 

I repeated the truth from the Bible again.