Chapter 11, Part 4: The Holy Spirit and I

New book coming in September

Dreams, Visions, Angels, and The Holy Spirit

Joan Boney

Some time after I was born again, I went to Clovis, New Mexico, USA, where I visited with my mother.

I went into the kitchen to get something and I noticed in her cabinet a set of Zodiac mugs, which I had given to her before I was born again.

I took a garbage bag and began putting the Zodiac mugs into the garbage bag without saying a word.

My mother saw what I was doing and she became agitated, and said to me, "What are you doing? You gave those to me.  I want to keep them."

I didn't say a word.  I just kept loading the mugs into the garbage bag.  I went out the door.  I went to the back alley where the garbage dumpster was sitting.  I broke the mugs and threw them into the garbage.

I returned to my mother's house.  

The Holy Spirit called to my memory the following scripture.  I took the Bible and read aloud this scripture to my mother.

Deuteronomy 18:9-12  When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch. Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

My mother listened to me as I read those verses.

Then she said, "Well, then I guess we better not do that again."

My mother had always enjoyed horoscope books, which supposedly told the future.

When I was a child, my mother would often buy the monthly horoscope book at the news stand and read my horoscope to me.

When she heard God's view from Deuteronomy 18, she was apparently convicted by the Holy Spirit and agreed in her heart with the Word of God, and was saved.

I am convinced she was born again by the Holy Spirit at that exact moment that she heard the word of God and agreed with the spirit of God.

Which of us would ever think a person could be born again by the scriptures in Deuteronomy 18:9-12.  But that is what I heard to speak and I believe it was the Holy Spirit reminding me of that scripture, so that is what I spoke.

God knows exactly what to do for each of us and exactly how to bring us to God, through Jesus, The Word.  

Or if HE chooses, God knows how to offend a person and drive that person away from us.

The Holy Spirit uses that which God wants used.

All we have to do is speak that scripture or word.

The Holy Spirit does the will of God as we speak the scripture or concept that is called to our mind.

When we do that, some people are saved, while other people depart from us.

Either way, it does the will of God.

Isaiah 55:8-11   For MY thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways MY ways, saith the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are MY ways higher than your ways, and MY thoughts than your thoughts.

For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:   So shall MY word be that goeth forth out of MY mouth: it shall not return unto ME void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Salvation is of God through the Holy Spirit of God who convicts us of our sins that we might believe the word of truth as it is given unto us by God to believe.  

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At the time I was born again, I owned a business, American Indian Arts, in Dallas, Texas.  I had to go to the Indian reservations in New Mexico to purchase items for my business.  

I was on a plane enroute to Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, when I heard these words from the Holy Spirit, "Be baptized."

Jeanne, my Church of Christ cousin, was meeting me at the plane.  

I said to her, "Jeanne, if you can set it up today, I will be baptized."

Jeanne replied, "But you've already been baptized."

I replied, "But I was not born again until now."

It appeared to me that Jeanne had absolutely no idea what I was talking about, nor did she have any concept at all of the subject of being born again by the Spirit of God.  

I did not try to explain this to Jeanne.  

As we drove along the highway, enroute to the place where I was to purchase jewelry, I spoke freely of God, telling some of the things God had done for me. 

Jeanne said to me, "Well, I believe you are a Christian.  I just don't know how you can be one."

That afternoon, after I had purchased the jewelry and was ready to return by plane to Dallas, Jeanne had set it up at the Church of Christ for me to be baptized.  About 15 of my relatives were there.  

The young minister said to me, "Would you like to say anything?"  

I replied, "Well, I guess so."

And I began speaking the things I heard from the Spirit of God, just speaking those things that came into my mind, for I believe that's the Spirit of God, in most cases.  

I noticed that my uncle who was sitting in the congregation began crying.  I noticed that one of my cousins was shaking her head up and down vigorously as I spoke.  She could understand what I was saying. 

As the minister lowered me into the water, I heard from the Holy Spirit.  He said, "This is like being buried with Christ."

As I came out of the water, the Holy Spirit said, "This is like being raised with Christ."

I dressed and came back to the auditorium where my relatives were waiting for me.  

My uncle came up to me and with tears in his eyes.  He said, "I have never heard anything like that which you said today.  Could you write that out for me?"

I said, "Well yes, I guess I can."   So when I got back to Dallas I did write it out and sent it to my uncle.  

I think he was born again with that which I said by the Holy Spirit at that Church of Christ building that afternoon in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

When we follow the things brought to our mind by the Holy Spirit without pre-planning anything at all, I am convinced we do the work of God.

***

There was a woman in our little church group.  I called her one afternoon to talk with her about something.  She said, "My daughter and son are coming this afternoon to visit me.  They will be here in about 30 minutes.  I have made out a list of things that I want to say to my son."

(Neither her daughter nor her son were born again and the son had just separated from his second wife.)

I replied, "Don't do that!  Just speak those things called to your mind by the Holy Spirit."

Later she told me not one of the things on her list which she had prepared were called to her mind by the Holy Spirit.  Her list was all the work of her own flesh.  Not only was the son spared, but she was spared.  

We cannot plan ahead of time the things that we are going to say to someone else, for it very well might be us speaking and not the Spirit of God.  The only thing we will do in such a case is cause unnecessary trouble to everyone.  

What I do, is simply pray, "God please have me speak the things that YOU want spoken."

By faith I believe God does that for me, and HE will do that for you by faith if you believe.  

God is the One who saves or removes the person from our life.  We must speak the things given to us by the Spirit of God, meaning the things brought to our mind by the Spirit of God. 

I Corinthians 7:15     But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.

(I know Paul is speaking here to married couples, but I find this also applies to dealings when one person is a believer and the other is an unbeliever.  I think we still speak as we are led by the Holy Spirit and if that unbeliever departs don't try to appease him to get him to remain in your company.)

***

If you are in envy or strife, it might not be the Holy Spirit speaking.  It will likely be devils speaking through you.  So we must work to keep ourselves in peace with God through prayer.  Otherwise we can do great harm by speaking that brought to our mind.

James 3:14-16   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.

If we have "a bone to pick", we must first be healed and restored by God before we speak to that other person.

So we go to God in prayer, pouring out our heart before God, asking God to heal our hearts.

Psalm 51:10   Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 

*****

You cannot speak from the Holy Spirit if you do not have the Holy Spirit, and many religious people try to speak without having the Holy Spirit and they speak their own minds and church doctrines which usually does harm to the other person.

It is only when you are sealed by the Holy Spirit after you believe God that you have the Holy Spirit.

And if we have the Holy Spirit, I believe the Holy Spirit can be taken away from us, if we refuse the Holy Spirit enough times and go in our own way.

I know David was afraid that he could lose the Holy Spirit, and he did have the Holy Spirit, although  the Holy Spirit was not yet given to everyone in the Old Covenant.

David prayed... Psalm 51:11 ...  Take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. 

*****  

The joy of the Holy Spirit is peace with God and fellowship with those who keep pure hearts and follow God with sincerity of heart and with a pure mind.

I John 1:7   But if we walk in the light, as HE is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ HIS Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Those of us who walk in the light of the Word, doing that Word that we have been shown by the Holy Spirit, have fellowship with others who also walk in the light of the Word.

And we go forth in the joy of the Lord.

Isaiah 55:12-13   For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

But I don't find it possible to go forth in joy and in peace when I am grieving over a person who says he is Christian when he rejects doctrine from Bible.

All I can do is come away from him to live in peace and joy.

Titus 3:9-11    But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.

A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;

Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.

(Heretic is one who refuses to submit to the power of the scripture through the Holy Spirit and insists in explaining away the scripture.)

*****

The apostle Peter tells us how we must live and how we must keep ourselves continually.

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.

The second Jesus returns for the church, I cannot be in peace and might not even be without spot and blameless, if I am trying to "visit" with disobedient church people.

So what will happen to me?

I might be left here to see the great tribulation for some of the elect of God will go through the great tribulation.

Matthew 24:21-22     For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

***

Therefore we must do what we have to do to live in peace, without spot and blameless.

We can only do this by continually forgiving those who trespass against us, by correcting ourselves by the word through the Holy Spirit as needed, and by connecting to God through prayer continually as we live on this earth.

Luke 21:34-36    Jesus says:   And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting (over indulgence), 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, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

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