Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
Several spiritual gifts are given to the church to help the church.
Spiritual gifts are listed for us in I Corinthians 12, Romans 12, and I Peter 4.
The apostle Peter says:
As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. (I Peter 4:10-11)
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Spiritual gifts are given to individuals in the body of Christ as God wills. It is important for each of us to recognize our spiritual gifts and for us to focus on those gifts by building ourselves up in the areas of those gifts and especially to do the gift as the opportunity arises for the gift to surface.
God gives the gift ... but we move into that gift by yielding ourselves to God in the gift.
God does not make us do the gift but "urges" us in the gift and we have to yield ourselves.
The spiritual gifts are:
I Corinthians 12
- word of wisdom
- word of knowledge
- faith
- healings
- miracles
- prophecy
- discerning of spirits
- tongues
- interpretation of tongues
v. 28
- apostles
- prophets
- teachers
- miracles
- healings
- helps
- governments
- diversities of tongues
Romans 12:
- prophesy
- ministry (serving)
- teaching
- exhorting
- giving
- ruling
- showing mercy
I Peter 4
- speakers
- ministers (serving)
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When the individual allows the gift to surface, we in the church recognize that gift that is coming forth.
Examples:
I constantly exhort the church. You see me do this in writing. Individuals constantly see this as I encourage them in things of God or warn them about various things so they can be delivered from pitfalls of the flesh and devil.
It should be very clear to us that I have been given a spiritual gift of exhortation to help the church.
But I am not forced to use this gift though it is in me. I have to willingly use the gift though speaking or writing. By faith, I speak or write.
Humans often try to stop me from speaking. Devils bring thoughts to my mind that I am speaking the wrong thing or speaking the Word in the wrong way. Humans and devils try to say to me that I exhort too much.
How do I manage to continue when all these things try to stop me?
First, I pray asking for God to help me.
Then I focus on the following scripture which tells me what to do with this gift of exhortation which I am persuaded I have been given by God.
Hebrews 3:12-14 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
(I especially focus on the first part of verse 13. It is as if God HIMSELF is speaking to me this day telling me to exhort the chuch. So I look at this scripture often and do it regardless of how I feel. I do it even when a person rejects the exhortation and strikes out against me, which is often the case. I keep doing this for it is my job, assigned by God, to exhort the church. But I have to work at it, especially in times of attacks, which are many. And often the thought will come that I need to delete the writing. These thoughts usually come at the end of the day, just before I go to sleep. When I yield to these thoughts, and delete what I have written, God usually has me write that exhortation again the next day. Sometimes I will choose to wait until the next day and judge the exhortation again. And when I do this usually I find it to be an excellent, edifying exhortation. It is a contant battle, just like in a war, which we are in a war, a spiritual war.)
And the following scripture is used by me to keep doing the spiritual gift.
Hebrews 10:25-26 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. 26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
(The above scripture is often used when thoughts come saying I am writing or speaking too much.)
I have to work at doing the spiritual gift to be able to do that gift and to continue doing that gift, for if possible, humans and devils would stop me from exhorting the church and if I stop, I believe God would remove that spiritual gift from me and then I would have nothing and would even go into a perdition myself and take others with me to perdition if possible.
So I yield myself to God and keep doing that gift.
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There is a woman in our church group that I believe to have the spiritual gift of "giving".
This woman has very little money, but there are many ways to give without giving money. She can yield herself to give encouragement. She can share natural gifts such as cooking, sewing, or even cleaning if she has such. She can yield her time to others.
I encouraged her to look at various scriptures concerning giving and to allow God to open her understanding concerning the gift of giving and its application in her life.
Here are a few scriptures that might help in this matter:
II Corinthians 8:10=15 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:
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:
As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack.
v. 21 Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.
II Corinthians 9:6-8 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
v. 11 Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.
Galatians 6:7-10 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
(I'm sure there are many other scriptures which can encourage this woman to exercise the gift of giving that is in her. The above are just a few.)
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Proverbs 18:16 A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.
We are known by that spiritual gift that God has put inside us.
But if we hide and refuse to let that gift come forth, we are in darkness and we will go into more darkness.
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There was a woman in our church group in whom I saw spiritual gifts of word of wisdom and word of knowledge.
Occasionally, when I spoke with her, these would "slip" out of her and she often said, "I thought of that!"
(I also operate in the spiritual gifts of "word of wisdom" and "word of knowledge" and I knew to speak those to the appropriate persons. It is like walking on a high wire tight rope for you usually have no evidence, you just "know". But we must speak such, though often to speak will bring upon us shame and persecution especially from the church.)
I also felt this woman to be a prophet and I told her such.
But she strongly resisted all that I told her both about the office of a prophet and especially about sharing those gifts of word of knowledge and word of wisdom.
This subject was often called to my attention by God through the months and years, and I would tell this woman again about the need to share these with our church group.
She was with us 39-years ... and finally it was as if she "exploded" against me. She said it was like I had been "throwing rocks" at her all these years. But what I had been doing was trying to encourage her to use those spiritual gifts that she kept hiding.
(Once in awhile, especially in the early years, she would use the gifts and this is when I recognized her ... the fruit on the tree identifies that tree to us ... by the fruit we know them ... but she grew much darker and dimmer as the time increased and finally the gifts had to be drug out of her. She is no longer with our church group.)
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Parable of the talents:
Matthew 25:14-30 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.
And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.
But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.
After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.
And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.
But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.
After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
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We must prove ourselves good stewards of the gifts God has given us using such gifts at every opportunity.
At one point, a couple of years or so after I was born again, I began attending a church named Word of Faith.
At the Sunday school class, the teacher would always say: "Does anyone have a word from the Lord?"
In that class, a way was made for the spiritual gifts to come forth. I always had a word from the Lord and I always spoke what I had. It got to the point it was embarassing for me, for after Don said this everyone would look at me. But I always spoke anyway.
In the main service at 11 am, there was never an opportunity made for the gifts to come forth, except every once in awhile someone would bring forth a tongue and interpretation. But there never was an open invitation to speak "a word from the Lord" as there had been in the class. The main service was just a very structured service controlled by man.
It was opposite from the following instructions given by Paul for the church.
I Corinthians 14:26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.
During those years I attended a "prayer group" at a neighborhood house. In that group, there was much opportunity for the gifts of the Holy Spirit to surface.
At that group, one day, they were all praying about something and I heard, "Look up."
I looked up at a solid wall and on that wall I saw the outline of a part of the human body. I didn't recognize what it was but I knew I'd seen this outline before. I asked God, and I heard "Stomach."
(OH yeah ... like in the Pepto Bismal commercials.)
After the women quit praying, I asked, "Does anyone have a stomach problem?"
One woman excitedly said, "OH YES!"
I suppose they all began praying for her. I don't remember. But this is when God began using word of knowledge with me and even to this day I will, from time to time, be shown by God "visions" on the wall, almost like a TV picture, showing me things that will happen.
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.
I Corinthians 12:4-7 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.
God has different ways of showing these spiritual gifts but it is the same gift and same Spirit.
A Baptist woman told me this story. When she was a young woman, she went to the local village grocery store. In the store, she saw a young man whom she had never before seen. She looked at him and "knew" he was the man she would marry. She asked the grocer the name of this young man. The grocer told her he was visiting a relative in the community. She said, "I'm going to marry him." The grocer was horrified and replied, "You shouldn't say such things."
I replied: That was a word of knowledge to you from God. One of the spiritual gifts.
She was horrified at what I said and seemed frightened.
She did marry him and they were married over 60-years until he died.
I don't know why she was so afraid of the spiritual gifts. The spiritual gifts should be normal for Christians for they are given by God as HE wills to help the church.
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