💥 God gave John the Baptist a sign so he could recognize Jesus.

 

John 1

32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon HIM.

33 And I knew him not: but HE that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon WHOM thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on HIM, the same is HE which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

Matthew 3:11  (John the Baptist said:)

I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but HE that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: HE shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

 

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Comments by Joan Boney:

When I was 15 years old, I went forward at church and was baptized in water.  I did this by invitation from the preacher at that church.  But nothing changed in my life.  I continued to pursue my own ambitions.  I was not born again by the Spirit of God.

When I was 37 years old, God said to me:  "Joan ... you know all those mistakes you've been making all these years?  Those weren't mistakes.  Those were sins."

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

Instantly I was changed by God by that word of truth spoken to me that night by the Spirit of God.  I was born again, given a new heart and a new spirit so I could know things of God.

Ephesians 1:13  In WHOM ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in WHOM also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

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Ezekiel 36  (God says)

23 And I will sanctify MY great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.

24 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.

(After God spoke this word to me I no longer wanted to be with those people I had been with before.  Now I wanted to be with the people of God.  Now I wanted to be with the church.  And I wanted to read the Bible.  God took me from among the heathens.)

25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.

26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

27 And I will put MY spirit within you, and cause you to walk in MY statutes, and ye shall keep MY judgments, and do them.

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Several months after I was born again, I was on an airplane going on a trip to buy merchandise for my business in Dallas Texas.  

As the plane touched down on the runway in Albuquerque, New Mexico,  the Holy Spirit said to me, "Be baptized."  

My cousin who was meeting me at the plane was a Church of Christ member.  

I said to her:  "If you can arrange it at church this afternoon, I will be baptized before returning to Dallas."

She was shocked and replied, "But you've already been baptized!"

I said, "But I was not born again at that time.  Now I am born again and as we landed I heard from God to be baptized, so if you can arrange it I will be baptized before returning to Dallas this afternoon."

As we drove along that day, I spoke to her about God and the things God had done for me and she said, "Well ... I believe you are a Christian ... I just don't see how you can be one."

I just laughed.  

(Later I realized she didn't understand what it meant to be "born again" by God.)

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My cousin did arrange for me to be baptized that afternoon.  I was surprised to see several of my relatives at the church building when we arrived there.

The minister asked me if I would like to say anything before I was baptized. This surprised me for Church of Christ never allow women to speak at the church.

I replied, "I guess so."  

And I just began speaking what I heard from God by the Holy Spirit, telling my relatives about being born again, and how God said to me that day, as the plane landed, "Be baptized."

I noticed my uncle was crying as I spoke.  And one of my cousins was shaking her head up and down in agreement to what I was saying.

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When the minister lowered me into the water, the Holy Spirit said to me, "This is like being buried with Christ."

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

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After this, I rejoined my relatives downstairs at the church building.

My uncle who had been crying came to me.  He still was crying.  And he said:  "I've never heard anything before like you spoke today.  Could you write this out for me and send it to me?"

I told him I thought I could do that and I would do that as soon as I got back to Dallas. 

(I had no idea at that time that I was called by God to be a minister.)

Several months later I was reminded of this happening and I realized my uncle was born again by God as I spoke that day at that Church of Christ building.

There is a scripture telling us that Jesus sends us forth "with signs following" and I knew this was one of those "signs" which followed my obedience to the Holy Spirit that day by being baptized while on that trip to buy merchandise for my store.

Mark 16:20  And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

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