Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
We preach Jesus when we speak The Word given us by God at the time we are standing before another person or a church group.
We preach Jesus (The Word) when we tell of something God has told us. When we are reminded of something God has done in the past, of a Word HE has given us, and we share that Word, we preach Jesus (The Word).
For example: I made a mistake in purchasing a TV. It was defective and I could not get the dealer to correct the problem. The TV had black, vertical streaks on one side of the screen. I kept trying to tune it but I could not correct the picture no matter what I did to the various settings. It was a very expensive plasma and I had only had it one year. One day as I was trying to make the picture better, the following word came into my mind. "You don't have to live with that ."
I stopped what I was doing and thought of the Word I had just heard.
Then I said, "That's right!"
I had never considered buying another TV. But with this word, which I knew was from God, I went immediately and bought another TV and had the defective TV removed.
When I share this story with other people, I preach Jesus, The Word.
(How THE WORD was given to me by God through HIS Spirit in the form of a thought to allow me to move into freedom.)
Jesus is the Word brought to you by God.
Jesus is not just a scripture from the Bible. Jesus is what ever God has brought to our mind. For Jesus is The Word.
You do not have to have a scripture for it to be Jesus speaking to you for Jesus is The Word.
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Often an individual will tell me a story of something God has done in his life and then tag a scripture onto the story as if to validify the story.
In such cases I rejoice in the story, knowing it is of God, but skip over the scripture, knowing that was added by the individual. It is the story that causes us to rejoice in such cases for it is The Word.
Certainly we rejoice over a scripture when God brings that scripture to mind to show us what to do, but to think you have to justify a Word from God by a scripture is wrong.
The Word from God is The Word.
When God chooses to speak to us it has a power, just as the scripture has power when God calls it to our attention.
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I was once associated with a person who called herself a minister.
When I shared what God had told me, she would often ask: "And what scripture did God give you?"
She did not understand The Word given by God is The Word of God.
We preach Jesus, The Word, when we share what God has told us by HIS Spirit, for The Word is Jesus who is The Word.
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II Timothy 2:4 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.
* be instant in season, out of season ... It is the Holy Spirit who does the work of God by The Word HE gives us. God showed me not to preplan. Just speak The Word that is called to my attention when I am with the person or writing these exhortation or writing books.
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If I have been striving with someone or have "bones to pick", it is important to settle the grievances with God through prayer, allowing God to give me what I need to get over the strife.
Keeping my own heart pure is important.
When I have the joy of The Word and am in peace at that moment I speak, I am in the best possible position to speak or write.
And then I speak that which is brought to my mind by the Spirit of God, instant in season out of season, as the apostle Paul told us to be.
It is the Holy Spirit reminding me of what Jesus has said and has done in my life. So that Word (or example) is what I speak or write.
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
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One day, I called a woman in our little church group. She said her adult aged children were due to arrive at her house in about 30-minutes. (They lived in another city.) She said she had made a list of all the things she wanted to say to her son so she wouldn't forget to tell him those things.
I was horrified! She might tell him things that God wouldn't say to him at that point in time thinking she would "help" him.
I advised her to throw her list away and put her trust in God to bring to her mind what she should say.
She quickly committed herself to God and put her trust in God.
None of those things she had on her list were brought to her mind during the entire week-end.
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If I know I am going to be around another person, I often pray that I speak only those things God wants me to speak.
I changed hairdressers a few months ago. We have mostly spoken of secular things at my appointments. But at the last appointment, as we were speaking of medical conditions, I told her how careful I am to live in peace, not holding grudges. I told her I think strife affects your physical well being as well as spiritual well being.
She paused and drew very thoughtful and then said ... "I'm working on this."
That was all I felt I was led to say to her.
But I do think it was the Spirit of God leading me to say that Word.
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Each time we speak the Word given us by the Holy Spirit, we preach Jesus, The Word.
And when we speak as God leads it does the purpose of God.
But we must keep our own heart pure, taking care to settle things with God in prayer, taking in that which God would give us, cleansing ourselves. Otherwise you could contaminate the other person with your own ideas and grievances.
We go out with joy and are led forth in peace when we follow God and keep our own hearts by prayer.
I do not deliberately go around people who trouble me and have a continual way of troubling me for it removes joy and peace from me and could cause me to speak wrongly.
James 3:14-16 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
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