Book: Exhortations For The Church
Vol. 10, Chapter 8
Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
John the Baptist said to his disciples:
A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. (John 3:27)
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Before I was born again, I would hear people speak of a call of God on the life of a minister and I had no idea what this might mean. Didn't they just decide to be a preacher and go to school to learn to be a preacher like you do if you want to be an English teacher? What does this mean to have a call of God on your life?
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After I was born again (1975), piece by piece, things became explained to me by God.
After the crucifixion of Jesus and HIS resurrection to heaven, HE gave ministry gifts to the church.
Ephesians 4:11-12 ... 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:
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And to the body of Christ were given by God the specific gifts of the Holy Spirit to help the church.
I Corinthians 12:4-11 ... 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 will.
I Corinthians 12:15-19 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.
And if they were all one member, where were the body?
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Romans 12:4-8 ... For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry (serving), let us wait on our ministering:or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
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I Corinthians 12:28 ... And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
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Some very serious mistakes come to the church when a person tries to copy another person. When this happens, the flesh of man takes over and much harm can be done.
The ministry offices (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher) and the various spiritual gifts are given by God and cannot be earned nor learned by the individual. It is sort of like being born male or female.
I have heard ministers say they are pastors but "hope" to become apostles as if that is something they can earn in time.
That is not the way things are with God. God puts us exactly where HE wants us to function.
We have this calling or gift in us and God brings it forth. We do not copy another.
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Several years ago, I was having coffee with two Baptist women. One woman began speaking of a woman in their church group. She said pastor was building a new church building and this woman was so against what he was doing. She asked me, "What do you think might be wrong with this woman?" I replied, "Maybe she is a prophet."
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God's prophets often see things that others do not see immediately.
They frequently operate in word of wisdom and word of knowledge and discerning of spirits.
They are often used by God to correct individuals.
And the church people often fight the prophets.
It is very difficult work.
Prophets often run around with other prophets. They are often misunderstood. They are often tormented, for God shows them sin in the church.
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I have often heard individuals stand up in the congregation and speak "flowery" words which are emotional but meaningless. And later you can't even recall what that person said.
When the word is from the Spirit of God, you can't forget what is said though people often try to forget.
Here is a message from a real prophet.
"O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire." (spoken by John the Baptist / Luke 3:7-9)
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It is not a matter of our wanting to be a prophet (though I can't imagine anyone who knows the Bible wanting to be a prophet) ... Neither is it a matter of not wanting to be a prophet for you are what you are.
Jonah 1:1-3 ... Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before ME. But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
God often has HIS ways to get us to do what HE wants us to do. I find that I am miserable until I deliver the message of correction so I have learned to deliver that message as soon as possible. Then I am often attacked and tormented but at least the message has been delivered. I have done the work of prophet to which God called me. There is often torment, for a season, after you do the work but there is no rest at all until you do the work. Jonah is our example.
Jonah 1:4-17 ... But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken. Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them.
But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.
So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.
And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.
Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?
And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land.
Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.
Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous.
And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.
Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them. Wherefore they cried unto the Lord, and said, We beseech THEE, O Lord, we beseech THEE, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for THOU, O Lord, hast done as it pleased THEE.
So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows.
Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
I know people who fail to do the work in a timely way and they bring trouble to their own souls as a result. And often they are a trouble to other people due to their hesitation. It is far better to do the work as quickly as possible and deliver the message you have for you will burn inside and be restless until you do what you need to do.
We cannot successfully run away from the call of God and the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
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The gifts of the Holy Spirit are for the church. These gifts are not to be consumed upon you personally. When God reveals a word to you, it is a word to be shared with the appropriate people. You must learn this.
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Proverbs 18:16 ... A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.
The gift that is in us surfaces and others do recognize we are different and that gift does make a space for us in the body of Christ.
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Pam Padgett has a gift of helps. She loves to help. She has provided value to the church through putting all these writings in a form required for publishing books and to transfer the writings to the blog daily and to keep the blog going daily so each of us can benefit from the writings.
Her gift is very visible to me.
Others also have gifts but I know they are not surfacing through them but still I know they are there.
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Obedience to God is the primary way to see the gift given by God develop in you.
"One step at a time ... one step at a time ... it is enough," says God.
But each of us must take that step ...
We yield to God through faith in God. We permit what God has put in us to surface.
The gifts of God are not forced on us but I find people are really miserable until they act on that which God has given and some even die without acting in the area given by God in the body of Christ. The church never gets to benefit from them. All sorts of excuses and fleshly reasoning causes them to hold inside them that gift from God and end up consuming what they have upon themselves to no avail to the church to whom that gift is designed to be given.
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No one can make you do the work ... It is an act of faith in God.
No one makes me write these exhortations. I hear one scripture, such as the one at the top of this writing, and I sit down and yield to God, reporting those things brought to my mind by HIS Spirit.
Romans 11:29 ... For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
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BOOK: Exhortations For The Church, Volume 10
Chapter 8
Joan Boney
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Chapter 8
Joan Boney
E-book: $.99
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