Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
I Timothy 5:24 Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after.
Some sins committed by men are apparent even as those men live on this earth while other sins are hidden until the day of judgment when they are disclosed and judged.
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From 1978-1982, I attended a church, Word of Faith, Robert Tilton, pastor, that met in an old warehouse in Farmer's Branch, Texas, north of Dallas.
* When I began going there, we had approximately 200 people on the best day.
* By the time I left in 1982, the size of the congregation had grown to approximately 8,000.
* By the end of the 1990's, the entire church building was destroyed and the congregation had gone elsewhere.
Today, there is no evidence of a church ever having been on that property.
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What happened?
(The secular documentation of this story can be read on Wikipedia, see Robert Tilton.)
I can testify to the rise and destruction of this ministry and this church group.
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Robert Tilton was an energetic, appealing man and speaker. He was "boyish" in charm and seemed very sincere. I liked him. (1978)
His wife, Marte, was co-pastor. My recollection is she was considered to be a prophet. Ephesian 4:11, though they called her "pastor".
They had started out as "evangelists."
I do not find these ministry offices to change. You are apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, or teacher according to Ephesians 4:11-12. But many preachers do not seem to know what they are and they often call themselves one thing and change later to another.
Jesus gave to the church: 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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In approximately 1980, Bob, from the pulpit, excitedly announced that he was going on radio. He said he planned to be "bigger" than Kenneth Copeland.
I didn't think much about it and I never heard any of his radio broadcasts.
(At that time, I was not yet on radio but very soon would be.)
For any minister to compete with another minister is "emulations" ...a sin of the flesh,
Galatians 5:19-21 ... Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
emulation: effort to match or surpass a person or achievement, typically by imitation
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A year or two after going on radio, Bob announced he was going on television. (even greater)
He raised money for a new auditorium of approximately 8,000 seats and had TV recording facilities in the auditorium.
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In approximately 1982, I received a phone call from a woman at this church who was said to be a prophet. Her name was Ava Pickard. She was crying as she spoke with me.
Bob had invited Ava to be a guest on his TV show. Just before going on camera Bob said to her, "Just one thing. Don't say anything about being a prophet because it's not popular."
Ava was devastated!
I was furious!
I knew by doing this Bob had "killed" a prophet.
I saw the following scripture:
Matthew 23:37-38 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
I knew Bob's house would be left "desolate" to him because of what he had done and I reported this to him.
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Within a short time ...
- Bob and Marte divorced.
- ACB Primetime Live presented an expose concerning Robert Tilton: exposing money received from offerings being forwarded unopened to a bank in Tulsa, Oklahoma where bank employees opened these offering letters and threw the letters in garbage dumpsters while depositing the money in a bank account in Tulsa. Offerings dropped from 8-million dollars a month to 2-million per month, still an incredible amount of money.
- A member of Bob's congregation filed law suit against him for "extortion", claiming 100-fold returns on offerings which did not happen.
- The church building somehow was obtained by the city and was torn down and a youth hockey center erected on the location.
- Bob moved out of state.
- Bob married another woman. (adultery against Marte) They also divorced.
- Bob married a third wife.
- Bob tried to establish another TV ministry in Florida.
- At last report, Bob had moved to Culver City, California, where he purchased an hotel.
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I'm sure there are many reasons given for all these changes.
But I know the real reason.
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Matthew 24:1-5 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and His disciples came to Him for to shew Him the buildings of the temple.
And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
And as HE sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in MY name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
Many will come saying, "I (Jesus) am Christ" ... "Jesus is Lord" ... and because they say this, they will deceive many.
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