(Joan Boney, apostle and prophet of Jesus Christ according to Ephesians 4:11-12.)
Faith in God always begins by hearing from God. God speaks, we hear and believe it is God telling us to do something.
Righteousness is also by faith for when it is God authoring our "work", our righteousness will be of God.
From the beginning of the time I was born again, God taught me to hear HIM and follow HIM.
That is what each Christian is to do.
And it all starts by believing we have heard something from God.
* December 6, 2018, I had an accident at my house in Texas.
As the ambulance workers rolled me past my front door to take me to hospital, I heard these words in the form of a thought: "You'll never see this house again."
(I had no doubt that was the Holy Spirit revealing to me that which was from God.)
I put my house in Texas up for sale.
A woman in our church group saw me do this and she said to me, "I don't see how you can do this."
I replied. "Because God has told me I will never see this house again."
We who belong to God know it is the voice of God and we do not follow strange voices.
We know the Holy Spirit when HE speaks. And we recognize that voice that is from devil.
We follow God and resist devil.
John 10 Jesus said:
1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
***
We who belong to God know the voice of the Holy Spirit of Jesus when HE speaks to us.
But some do not belong to God and they follow the voice of strangers.
In the 1980's, I attended a church in Dallas called "Word of Faith". Obviously they taught a lot about faith. But not all in the church group belonged to God.
At that time a young, married couple quit their secular jobs and announced to us they were going to the nation of Israel "to minister".
A week later they were back at church.
"What happened?" we asked.
They said it was impossible to minister in Israel because they did not know the language.
When God is leading us to do something everything we need is in place for us to do the work as God instructs.
When the work is impossible, it was not of God.
Often ministers from around the world will tell me of their works. They are building schools, and old folks homes, and giving Bibles to all persons who attend their meetings. And they ask me to give them money for these works. But they never tell me any message from God to lead them to do these things.
There are many people trying to do works but they are not born of the Spirit of God.
Often church goers just want to do things for God and they are led by a "religious" type spirit which is not of God.
But those of us who really are of God, having the Holy Spirit in us, know the voice of God when HE speaks to us.
John 10:14 Jesus says: I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
God spoke to Noah and Noah knew it was God.
God spoke to Abraham and Abraham knew it was God.
God speaks to us and we know it is God speaking to us when we belong to God.
But if you don't recognize it as God speaking, you'd better not do anything!
My cleaning woman used to watch me and she was amazed as she watched. She said, "But what if it doesn't work out?"
But I knew it would work out because I knew it was God telling me to do that work.
Either we know the voice of God or we don't know the voice of God.
We don't "try" to hear the voice of God. God speaks as HE wills. But we recognize HIS voice and we do not follow the voice of strangers.
Some of you know what I am talking about.
*****