Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
Romans 3:9-18 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes.
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Before we were born again, weren't we like the above description?
Were you seeking God? I certainly wasn't. I was trying to get ahead and fulfill my own desires.
Were you seeking God? I certainly wasn't. I was trying to get ahead and fulfill my own desires.
Everything changed for me August 5, 1975. God spoke to me by HIS Spirit and said: "Joan ... You know those mistakes you've been making all these years? Those weren't mistakes. Those were sins."
"SINS!" I cried out.
I was changed instantly, born again by the Spirit of God who spoke to me and convinced me of my sin ... and then that Holy Spirit of God was put inside me by God to live in me and show me truth and to show me the way of God in the situations of this present life just exactly as Jesus told us the Holy Spirit would do.
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.
John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
(After we are born again and are given the Spirit of God to live in us, we then grow into the image of Christ, The Word, each time we see or hear a word from God and do that word. This continues the remainder of our life on this earth.)
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A few nights after I was born again, I was transported into heaven in the night while I was sleeping. I was with God, with Jesus, with Holy Spirit. At that time, I was merged into the body of Jesus, made one with the Word of God, God and Holy Spirit witnessing.
This set me on fire! Now I only cared about Bible, church, and things of God. My business, which I owned at that time, meant nothing to me.
Then in the night while I was sleeping, it happened again, exactly the same way.
A second time, I was transported into heaven in the night while I was sleeping. I was with God, with Jesus, with Holy Spirit. At that time, I was merged into the body of Jesus, made one with the Word of God, God and Holy Spirit witnessing.
After that, a woman said to me, "In you, I think we've seen a real conversion. You've changed. You've really changed!"
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Where before I didn't seek God at all, though I thought I was a Christian having been baptized in water, now I sought God constantly, wanting to know Bible, wanting to know what God wanted me to do daily, asking people I had hurt in previous years to forgive me.
II Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
After that, a woman said to me, "In you, I think we've seen a real conversion. You've changed. You've really changed!"
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Where before I didn't seek God at all, though I thought I was a Christian having been baptized in water, now I sought God constantly, wanting to know Bible, wanting to know what God wanted me to do daily, asking people I had hurt in previous years to forgive me.
II Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
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One outstanding difference between before and after ...
Before I was born again, I wanted my enemies to "get it" ... to be punished, perhaps even destroyed.
But after I was born again, I wanted my enemies to be saved, to come to God.
How can any of us want a person to go through all eternity punished forever?
Sometimes a person who has gone to church a lot will say they forgive their enemies because that is what they have been taught at church. But if we really do not want our enemies to suffer for all eternity, and we genuinely want our enemies to be saved by God, we are likely born again.
I believe this is what it means when we think of "loving our enemies."
Matthew 5:44 Jesus says: I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
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But it all starts with being born again ... and that is by the will of God, not by our own will, says the apostle Paul.
Romans 9:11-16 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
Matthew 5:44 Jesus says: I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
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But it all starts with being born again ... and that is by the will of God, not by our own will, says the apostle Paul.
Romans 9:11-16 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
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We were born again because it was the will of God that we be born again and given HIS Holy Spirit to live in us.
We certainly did not deserve to be born again. It was just God's will for us!
The New Testament calls us "the elect" of God in many verses throughout.
If this troubles you, pray and read New Testament again.
If you are not troubled by this, rejoice and be thankful to have been one of those chosen by God ... and after you are saved, allow God to recreate you by HIS Word over and over, daily, as long as you live on this earth ... by doing that WORD shown you by the Holy Spirit of God, keeping yourself in the path of God on the highway of God by HIS Word and HIS Spirit.
Matthew 7:12-14 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.
(After we are born again, we seek to enter in to all things of God by recreating our lives continually by the WORD given us by the Holy Spirit who lives in us.)
Matthew 7:12-14 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.
(After we are born again, we seek to enter in to all things of God by recreating our lives continually by the WORD given us by the Holy Spirit who lives in us.)
But few will "find it" for other things seem more important to them and persecution comes to steal that WORD from our hearts unless we keep that WORD before us day and night so we can actually do that WORD. (Or for some, the price required to do the Word of God might seem too great to pay... to do!)
I know doing the Word of God over the counsel of those around me at that time cost me many friendships, including their friendship ... it cost me fame, money, reputation ... It cost me almost everything.
As Paul said of himself...
Philippians 3:4-10 Alhough I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death;
I know doing the Word of God over the counsel of those around me at that time cost me many friendships, including their friendship ... it cost me fame, money, reputation ... It cost me almost everything.
As Paul said of himself...
Philippians 3:4-10 Alhough I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death;
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Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
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