By faith ...

Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet

Hebrews 11:11    Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged HIM faithful who had promised.

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All spiritual things are done through faith:

Faith starts by believing you have heard from God and faith continues as we judge that God is both faithful to do what HE says and is able to do what HE says ... therefore we have strength to do that which is before us.

It is good to stop and think of those times in your life where you have done something because you believed God told you to do that and you believed God would do what HE said HE would do and you knew God was able to do what HE said he would do.

*  When I fell December 6, 2018, and was confronted with a very big problem of trying to get help which involved getting to area where there was a phone, (I had a broken left hip, a previously broken right upper arm which was not completely healed and a newly broken left wrist and was lying on the floor 1/2 way down a long hallway), it seemed totally impossible to think of reaching the area where the phone was placed.  Then I heard these words:  "You can do this."  Now I had strength to do the impossible.

This is the example of Paul saying:

Philippians 4:13    I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

"Christ" is The Word ... It is not a matter of hunting a word, nor conjuring a word, in this example I heard a pure word from God telling me that I was able ... although I could only move by about a 1/4 inch at a time until I reached that phone.  It took 4 1/2 hours in the middle of the night, but I did reach the necessary area whereby I could get help.  Without that word, I do not believe I would have had the strength to do this.  (I was 81-years-old when this happened.)

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*  As the ambulance people rolled me past my front door, I heard:  

"You'll never see this house again."

Because of "that word", I knew the season for living at that house had ended.  I put the house up for sale even as I was awaiting surgery in hospital.

A woman who was in our church group at that time said, "I don't see how you can do this."

(I don't believe this woman understood faith.)

I replied, "Because I've heard what I believe to be from God ... that I will not see "this house" again."


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* By faith in God, I moved directly from rehabilitation hospital where I had been for 2 1/2 months, to Colorado where one of our church people took me in to live at her home.  And it was by faith in God that she was able to take me into her home.

In this case, there was not a direct word from God to either Pam Padgett nor to me.  Individually we prayed and believed God was author of the plan.

Sometimes faith is like that.  Because you pray and believe you are able to act even though you do not have a direct word.  But you do have experience with God usually and you know God can stop you if needed or God can cause you to proceed with the plan.  

When God wants you to do something, God can settle your fears.  

Pam had lived alone a great many years.  She questioned to God, "Can I do this?" 

She had the following brought to her mind:

Hebrews 13:5  I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

By that word, Pam knew God was with her in the plan and that is all that mattered!

Then Pam had another word on the matter:

Isaiah 41:10    Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of MY righteousness.

By faith, in that which she had "heard" (these two scriptures), Pam had "strength" to go forward with the plan for me to move to her house which I did on February 24, 2019.

At the time this happened, I was in very questionable physical condition.  To take an 81-year-old woman into your house was amazing ... but to take such a person in when her physical condition was  terrible is a superior feat which only God could author.  (I could barely get from bed to porta-potty.  I could not walk more than 2 or three feet even with a walker.  I was basically bed-fast at the time I moved to Pam's house.)

Concerning my view:  I knew I would be better off in Colorado even if I had to go into assisted living.  Pam would be there to help me.  Pam has a spiritual gift of helps.

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. 

I had witnessed this spiritual gift of "helps" working in Pam for many years.  She was equipped by God and I knew it!

Before my surgery, December 10, 2018, at the hospital in Texas, they brought papers for me to sign where I had to name someone who would be "in charge" of me, making medical decisions for me, if I was unable to do so for myself.

Standing there at the time was one of our church members who lived in Lubbock, Texas, where I lived.

I told the nurse who brought the papers that Pam Padgett would be in charge of all decisions pertaining to me.

Sandra heard this and was shocked and said:  "How can she be in charge of you?  She lives in Colorado."  (450 miles away from hospital in Texas)

I replied:  "I don't know how she can be, but she is.  Pam will pray."

I had years of experience with Pam, watching her seek God.  I had years of experience also with Sandra and saw her lack of faith.  And for many years, I had prayed that Sandra never be in charge of me if I became disabled, for I had seen her weakness toward God, though she had been in our church group for the past 40-years.

So for me, it was an easy decision to move to Pam's house when the issue arose.

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It is always the same:

Romans 10:10   So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

First, we hear from God ... or God puts a "sanction" in our hearts for the project at hand.

It is backward to have a desire and then to hunt a scripture ... This sometimes allows you to pursue a desire of your own flesh which may not be of God.

Instead, you hear from God ... and then pursue the project by faith in that which you have heard from God or from that which God has already approved and sanctioned.

Either way, it is faith by which you move forward.

Hebrews 11:5   But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that HE is, and that HE is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.


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*  Here is an example of a project "sanctioned" by God ... Pam has ample room to place a single car garage beside her double car garage.  This week, without discussion, this project began to surface in both of our minds.  Others in her neighborhood have done this and it has greatly improved the property.  These houses are built on 1/3 acre so there is significant room between houses.  Though neither of us have an actual "word" from God, we both believe God approves the project if Pam wants to do the project.  I would not want to do a project without having a feeling that the project is cleared by God after prayer.  (Neither would I do an optional project unless there was money in savings to pay for that project.)


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My entire life since being born again in 1975, is full of examples of moving by faith in a word that I have heard that I believe to be from God.

After I have "that" word, I move "quickly" on that word.

Why would we wait if we really believe the instruction is from God?

Concerning Abraham:

Genesis 18:1-8    And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;  And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,

(These 3 "men" were actually angels from God sent to deliver God's word to Sarah.  After they left this assignment, two of them went to Sodom to destroy the city by God's will.  Angels look like men.  Angels do not have wings as man portrays them.  We know they were angels.  They asked for Sarah without human knowledge that there was a Sarah.)

3 And (Abraham) said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:  Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:  And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. 

And they said, So do, as thou hast said.

And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.

And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.

And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.

Abraham did not hesitate.

Especially when you know the situation is of God, why wait?  The longer you wait, the more opportunity you give for doubt to pull you away from that which you have been assigned.

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II Corinthians 9:9-14    For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though HE was rich, yet for your sakes HE became poor, that ye through HIS poverty might be rich.

And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago.

Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have.

For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.

For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened:  But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality:

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Your own flesh and the devil will say:  "Wait ... I might need that in future."

Do you have a word from God on the issue?  Or do you have a "sanction" that you believe to be from God to move forward?  If so do it!

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Moving by faith in that which you have heard from God ...

*  1975, in the night, I heard the following word:

"Joan ... You know all these 'mistakes' you've been making all these years?  Those weren't mistakes.  Those were sins."

"Sins!"  I exclaimed!  I thought they were mistakes.

I believed that word and with that word I was born again and given God's Spirit after believing.

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*  At a church gathering, after I was born again, I was concerned for I wanted to give money to the church, but I was also afraid.  And it was about 20 miles from my apartment to that church I was attending.  The gasoline prices were rising abnormally due to gas shortage in the 1970's.  Would I be able to continue spending this money?

As I thought upon these things, a woman who was seated a few seats from me got up and came to me and handed me a check and said, "God told me to give this to you."

I was shocked!

At that time, I didn't know I was to be a minister.  I didn't know why this happened.  Later I realized I would be receiving offerings from church people.  This was the first of those offerings.  God was showing me I would be a minister to HIS people and would be living off the church instead of making my own money in business.

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*  During those early years when I was attending church ... they would be taking up the offering.  I would see them coming to my aisle.   I would think I would give $20.  Then I would hear, "Give $30."   This happened over and over.  I would think I was going to give a certain amount, and I would hear to give more.  I always gave more.

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Approximately 1976, I was taken into heaven in the night as I slept.  I was with God, with Christ, with the Holy Spirit.  I didn't see any images.  It was a spiritual experience.  At that time, I was merged into the body of Jesus, made one with the Word of God, God and Holy Spirit witnessing.

A few, one or two, nights later, the exact same thing happened again.

After that, I was "on fire" for things of God ... for Bible and the church ... nothing else mattered to me.  I owned a business at that time but I no longer cared about my shop.  I had three competent women who worked for me and I just stayed at my apartment and studied Bible and went to a weekly prayer group and attended all services and special meetings at the church I was attending.  This was my pattern of life for the next three years.  Through those years, I came to know that I was to be a minister.  I believe that was part of the experiences that happened to me when I was taken into heaven those two times and merged into the body of Jesus, being made one with the Word of God.

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*  Probably one of the greatest shocks to my life came as follows:  I was driving along a road and God spoke the following words to me:

"I have called you and set you in the body of Christ as an apostle ..."

"Apostle?"  I cried out!  "What's an apostle?"

After that God began teaching me about the work of an "apostle".

God took me to Acts 15 ... There was a problem in the church.  The apostles and elders met to discuss the problem.  After a heated discussion with much disputing, the apostle James rendered the judgment which ruled over the matter.

I saw by this that apostles have an anointing from God to deal with problems, doctrines of the church, and scripture, making rulings.

Such as:  divorce/remarriage, and many other doctrines.

I was also called as a New Testament prophet.  I could see many examples from Bible of the working of both Old and New Testament prophets.

But there is little in New Testament to show the work of apostle.  

The church I attended at that time believed there are apostles and prophets in the church today according to Ephesians 4:11, but no one knew anyone who was an apostle at that church group.  

I asked the man who taught our Sunday school class, "What do apostles do in the church today?"  He did not know.  

I also asked him, "Who are the apostles at our church group?"  He did not know that either.  

I had no living human example of an apostle.  

God had to teach me.  

And HE did.

We can see, by the Bible, there are apostles and prophets in the NT church today, along with evangelists, pastors, teachers.

Ephesians 4:7-8; 11-16      But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore HE saith, When HE ascended up on high, HE led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 

(After Jesus arose ... after the crucifixion and resurrection ... Jesus gave these gifts to the church.)

And HE (Jesus) gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers  12 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:

From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. 

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The NT apostles have an anointing to deal with church doctrines and Bible.

The NT prophets have an anointing to prepare the body of Christ for the return of Jesus and the gathering of the church to Jesus.  The prophet bring correction from God to the church and to individuals in the church, thus making them ready for the return of Jesus.

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