Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
Cornelius is example of a man who wasn't a child of God but was seeking after God and ended up belonging to God.
Acts 10:1-2 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,
A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.
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There are others who are not seeking God but end up being children of God.
Romans 9:26-28 As he saith also in Osee, I will call them MY people, which were not MY people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not MY people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.
I have met several people like this.
* One woman who was a drunkard and had tried to stop drinking multiple times, said one day "something" happened to her. She told her husband she was going to stop drinking. He didn't believe her because he had heard her say this before but to no avail. But this time it was different. She did go to AA and eventually did stop drinking, but she knew it was God. And she wanted to read Bible and hear people speak of God and she began listening to preachers on radio after this "experience" that changed her.
* One man told me that he walked out onto his porch and "something" happened to him. He was changed. He said he didn't think much about it at the time. He later contracted the disease, ALS ... and was eventually totally paralyzed before he died. He was 44 when I met him and he died about 4 years later. I often spoke with him by telephone since he lived 500 miles from me. When he spoke on phone, you would never have known there was a problem in his life. He had a remarkable faith to endure as long as God left him on this earth.
* Another man told me he hated his step mother. One day he was sitting on porch and "something" came over him and he knew it was futile to hate and he stopped the hatred. I was sure this man had an experience with God. I met him when he was about 70 and he died shortly thereafter of cancer. I sat with him a few times in his illness and he loved to hear me speak of Bible.
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The gift of salvation and being born again is by the will of God.
So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew MY power in thee, and that MY name might be declared throughout all the earth.
(Pharaoh was a vessel fitted for destruction...and God hardened Pharaoh's heart that Pharaoh would be destroyed. Exodus 7:3 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. Exodus 7:13 And He hardened Pharaoh's heart, that he hearkened not unto them;)
Romans 9:18 Therefore hath HE mercy on whom HE will have mercy, and whom HE will HE hardeneth.
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Recently I was fervently praying that my cousin would be saved. She has attended church all her life but is very unspiritual and cannot see things of God when I share them with her.
After I was born again, I spoke with her. She listened to me speak and then said to me: "Well ... I believe you are a Christian. I just don't know how you can be one!"
(She didn't understand the miracle of being born again, of being chosen by God for salvation, not of ourselves or anything we did but simply because it was the will of God.)
This last time I was praying for her, I realized it is "my will" that she be saved ... but is it God's will? From that time on, I have still prayed she be saved and have prayed that God will open her eyes ... but I always add ... "If it be YOUR will."
(This cousin is 96 and is running out of time and doesn't seem to understand she is running out of time... she greatly attacks me and the work I do ... and she and her husband's family think evil of me, probably because of her words against me. Though much evil against me is done by these church going people, I still ask God to forgive them for they are truly blind to the evil they do against me.)
John 16:2-3 Jesus says: They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor ME.
(I have often had church goers try to stop me from speaking things of God, trying to "kill" me. They think it is their duty to stop me. If they knew God they would want to hear what I say for what I say is not of myself and my thinking, but is from God for salvation for the church goers.)
John 16:2-3 Jesus says: They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor ME.
(I have often had church goers try to stop me from speaking things of God, trying to "kill" me. They think it is their duty to stop me. If they knew God they would want to hear what I say for what I say is not of myself and my thinking, but is from God for salvation for the church goers.)
But recently as I prayed for my cousin, I thought ... is it God's will for her to be saved? ... I have to accept the will of God regardless ... that is what will be done and we should even pray,
"Not my will but THY will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
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The apostle Paul was actively fighting Christians and causing Christians to be put into bonds ... and consenting to the death of Christians.
When Stephen was stoned to death, Paul was one of those consenting to Stephen's death.
Acts 7:51-60 Stephen speaking to the Jews ... Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul (later named the apostle Paul) .
And they stoned Stephen, (who was) calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep (died)
Acts 8:1-4 And Saul (Paul) was consenting unto his (Stephen's) death.
And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.
And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.
As for Saul (Paul), he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.
Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.
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The apostle Paul was actively fighting Christians and causing Christians to be put into bonds ... and consenting to the death of Christians.
When Stephen was stoned to death, Paul was one of those consenting to Stephen's death.
Acts 7:51-60 Stephen speaking to the Jews ... Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul (later named the apostle Paul) .
And they stoned Stephen, (who was) calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep (died)
And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.
And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.
As for Saul (Paul), he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.
Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.
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Acts 9:1-6 And Saul (Paul), yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him,
Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou ME?
And he said, Who art thou, Lord?
And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?
And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
(Later as Paul was telling this to King Agrippa, Paul told more of what Jesus said to him concerning that which he must do.)
And he said, Who art thou, Lord?
And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?
And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
(Later as Paul was telling this to King Agrippa, Paul told more of what Jesus said to him concerning that which he must do.)
Acts 25:15-18 And I said, Who art thou, Lord?
And HE said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Me.
There is a supernatural calling by God upon those persons Jesus sets into the ministry for the NT church. You cannot imagine human qualifications upon these called ministers of God. The way you recognize these ministers is through the Holy Spirit by that which they speak with the power of God.
The power of God is there to change you and to cause you to go another way, if God opens your eyes when they speak the word given them by God.
Apostles and prophets are sent to the church to turn the church goers to God.
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The New Testament church ministers:
Ephesians 4:8; 11-15 When HE (Jesus) ascended up on high, HE led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
And HE gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
And HE gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
The ministers appointed by Jesus are gifts to the New Testament church today!
These ministers are called to do the work in the ministry offices of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher.
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