Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
Ecclesiastes 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
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When we seek the will of God and uphold the scriptures and other words from God as we live on this present earth, I believe God leads us from "season to season" of our lives with joy and gladness and we come to know great contentment in God.
In the Bible, the apostle Paul says to us:
I Timothy 6:6-12 godliness with contentment is great gain.
For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
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As we follow God, patiently doing that assignment God has put before us on this earth, we can know great joy and thankfulness and rest in that which God has given us.
Through prayer, diligently asking God to fill our day as HE wills and asking God to lead us in those things we are to do today, we gain great contentment through God.
Even in times of trouble, when we know we are seeking what God wants us to do, even when there is trouble along the way, we can rest in knowing we sought God and we can believe by faith in God that even then we are being led by God.
There is often trouble when we do that which is right in the sight of God!
Knowing we prayed before doing something is a great anchor for our soul.
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It is also very helpful if you know which spiritual gifts you have been given by God.
I have a spiritual gift of exhortation. (Romans 12) Pam Padgett has a spiritual gifts of helps. (I Corinthians 12:28)
If I were to try to copy Pam and try to do what she does, I would fail, for God has not given me that spiritual gift that she has. I have to work where I am placed by God, doing that which God shows me to do. As each of us do those things shown us by God daily, we grow into a type of contentment through God.
Paul describes the body of Christ and the spiritual gifts as follows:
I Corinthians 12:4-18 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
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:
But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as HE (God) will.
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.
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.
For the body is not one member, but many.
If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
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?
If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased HIM.
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
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:
But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as HE (God) will.
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.
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.
For the body is not one member, but many.
If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
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?
If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased HIM.
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When we read the Bible and focus on those scriptures called to our attention by the Holy Spirit there will be a special message from God to us at that point in time. We rarely know ahead of time what we should do that day, but I find as I read Bible things begin to stand out to me, and I stop and think about those things. If I need to repent and turn another way it shows me. If I'm ready to go forward it shows me. I know what to write to you by those scripture that stand out to me that day.
The Spirit of Jesus who lives in me leads me by HIS Word as I read the Bible. There will be one verse of scripture one day and the next day often another scripture burns through me. As I apply those scriptures to my life, thinking on them and letting them construct my way, I live in Jesus, the Word given me by Jesus' Spirit.
Also we live by information given us in dreams and by godly concepts brought to mind by Jesus' Spirit.
There have been times I have felt I needed to call a person on phone. I usually pray before doing this, asking God if that is what HE wants. When I am persuaded, I call.
Once God said to me: "One step at a time ... one step at a time ... it is enough."
Usually I have nothing at all on my calendar when I awaken in the morning. I pray asking God to fill my day. I read the Bible or blog and often something catches my attention and causes me to write an email to another person ... or some statement or scripture in blog will cause me to take some action in my own life. Since I have a spiritual gift of exhortation, I'm often triggered toward the next new writing for the church by a scripture or a concept brought to my mind as I read Bible or blog.
I find that the godly hymns edify and strengthen me.
Certainly prayer is critical as we encourage ourselves in God that day.
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We keep ourselves through God as we do the following daily.
Philippians 4:6-7 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
If we are troubled over anything at all we need to discipline ourselves to stop what we are doing and pray.
If we dread anything, we need to pray.
If we have no care or dread, we need to pray, thanking God for where we are at that point.
Jesus tells us in the following scripture how important it is for us to keep connected to God through prayer.
Luke 21:34-36 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
Watch ye therefore, and pray always (praying about every trouble that day), that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
Watch ye therefore, and pray always (praying about every trouble that day), that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
(Prayer even causes us to be worthy to escape for prayer connects us to God.)
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* surfeiting ... Overindulgence in activities, food, talking, people and such can cause us to grow tired and sluggish. Moderation! Stay watchful about yourself knowing those things by which you are drained. Discipline!
* drunkenness ... We can be drunken by things other than alcohol. To be drunken is to lose clarity. To be sober is to stay "clear minded."
* cares of this life ... If we fail to pray over each care that comes to mind, we can find ourselves drowning in cares. We can become mixed up with all these unattended cares. We temporarily lose our way because we are bombarded from every side by so many nagging concerns. Taking one care at a time and praying over it, through faith in God, depending on God rather than on ourselves, can stabilize us again. Then after we become stable, learning to deal immediately, praying as we have something come to mind, goes a long way in establishing us in God.
(We don't have to make a list to remind us to do these things. Rather we make doing them a way of life. I would hate to write anything on our blog without asking God to help me write that which HE wants written. It is a way of life for me.)
II Corinthians 3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
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For many, a main problem is debt.
It is not so much needing more money. You need to get into a position where you have no debt.
Debt is a terrible master.
There is a time we need to spend money but then I look for a "recovery" period where money accumulates again.
When I moved to Colorado in 2019, I had a few thousand dollars, four or five thousand, which had accumulated in my checking account. There were several needs which required most of that money. We needed to add a ramp to enable me to safely get into the house from the garage. We needed to add a concrete area at side of house where we could keep my car. These were paid for from the money in my checking account. (I take no salary from ministry and I live on monthly social security.) But usually my monthly expenses are so small that $300 or so is left over at the end of each month and I just let this money accumulate in my checking. I live below my means to pay monthly. I would not want to live otherwise.
Now that everything concerning the needs for the move have been paid, I am praying for that money to begin to accumulate again in my checking account.
This is a way of life God taught me when I was born again... get out of debt and stay out of debt. This I did and have continued to do for the past 40+ years.
If you are in debt, you will likely be led by money and may even find yourself thinking continually of a money thus leading to a "love" of money. This can be disastrous, leading you to take a wrong job for more money.
If that is your situation, the only way I know to get out is to pray, asking for God to help you, to restructure your thinking about life.
Be patient, doing what you believe God shows you. Begin to learn to live a little below your means to pay.
How do you know the plan is from God when an idea comes?
James 3:14-17 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.
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
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But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
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Know this: If you continue to live the way of this world, you will be swept away with this world.
This world and all the things are going to be destroyed by God. You cannot make having them all this important knowing they are appointed by God to be destroyed.
II Peter 3:10-14 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
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