Comments by Joan Boney:
I was baptized in water when I was 15 years old, at my aunt's church, Church of Christ, because I didn't want to go to hell and that was what I understood from the preaching, that I needed to do. But it was not the Holy Spirit of God leading me to do this. I was not convicted of my sin. So I was not born again at that time neither was there any change in my life. It was all of man and not by God. (Though I thought this made me a Christian and I told people I was a Christian when they asked me.)
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Then on August 5, 1975, God spoke these words to me by HIS Spirit.
"Joan ... You know all those mistakes you've been making all these years. Those weren't mistakes. Those were sins."
"Sins?" I replied! I thought they were mistakes.
Instantly I was born again, completely changed by God.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Now I was completely changed! I wanted to read Bible. I wanted to be with other Christians. I no longer wanted to be with the people I had been with before. I was a new creature!
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I owned a small business in Dallas, Texas, in American Indian Arts, and was on a buying trip to New Mexico.
As the plane landed in Albuquerque, I heard these words from God: "Be baptized."
(When I hear something, I take that word as, "NOW".)
My cousin, Jeanne, was meeting me at the plane, to take me out where I bought jewelry for my shop.
I said to Jeanne, "If you can arrange it, I will be baptized this afternoon, before I return to Dallas."
She was shocked and replied: "You've already been baptized."
I replied: "Yes ... but I was not born again at that time. Now I am born again and on the plane the Spirit of God said to me 'Be Baptized', so I will if you can arrange it!"
As we drove along in her car, I spoke continually of God and what HE had done in my life.
Jeanne said: "Well ... I believe you are a Christian. I just don't know HOW you can be."
(I just laughed. I don't think Jeanne understood being born again.)
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After I finished buying merchandise for my shop, we drove directly to the Church of Christ building where Jeanne attended church.
I was shocked to see approximately 15 of my relatives.
The preacher said to me, "Would you like to say anything before you are baptized?"
(This really surprised me for Church of Christ does not allow woman to speak in the church.)
I replied: "Well ... I guess so."
And I began speaking: telling them how I was baptized when I was 15 but was not born again by the Holy Spirit of God.
God spoke to me August 5, 1975, and said to me, "Joan ... you know those 'mistakes' you've been making all these years? Those weren't mistakes. Those were sins." With that, I was born again.
I'm sure I spoke other things God had shown me.
I noticed one of my cousins was smiling and shaking her head up and down.
I noticed my uncle was crying.
When the minister lowered me into the water, the Holy Spirit said to me: "This is like being buried with Christ."
When I came up out of the water, the Holy Spirit said: "This is like being raised with Christ."
I dressed and went back down to the auditorium where my relatives were gathered.
My uncle came to me, still having tears in his eyes, and said: "I've never heard anything like you spoke today! Could you write that out when you get back to Dallas and send it to me?"
I replied: "I guess so."
(I did send those words to my uncle in writing. Years later, God showed me that as I spoke, my uncle was born again.)
Jesus says:
Mark 16
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In MY name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, HE was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
Years later, I realized this is what had happened that day I spoke at Church of Christ, and was baptize, and my uncle was born again ... It was Jesus working with me and confirming the word with signs following ... my uncle born again as I spoke that day at Church of Christ.
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Romans 6
4 Therefore we are buried with HIM by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of HIS death, we shall be also in the likeness of HIS resurrection:
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with HIM, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with HIM:
9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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CHURCH GATHERING IN COLORADO SPRINGS: July 22-27, 2024
We would love to have you join us!
We are going to try to conduct these meetings as Paul said to do when we gather as the church:
I Corinthians 14:26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm (prayer), hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.
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