Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
Last Friday, I called a woman to tell her about the ministry books ... Her husband of 61 years died and I felt these books could help her. She seemed very interested in the books, asking me the name of the books. I told her it is easier to find the books by going to Amazon and typing my name in the Amazon search box.
We continued talking. She said things are so bad in the churches, with the watered down, non-existent doctrine. I began to drink in her words. I began talking about this and how I have fought this problem in churches for 30+ years.
The more we talked, the more "drunken" and "giddy" I became.
She sounded like a real Christian. I was excited.
Then she mentioned "once saved/always saved". That is such a divisive doctrine.
I believe in an "assurance" that I have the Holy Spirit. But I also believe I must continue to the end, believing the Word of God and doing the Word of God. So what I believe the scriptures show is you must continue in the Word as long as you are on this earth.
I found after I spoke with her, I wanted to hide any of my writings dealing with once saved/always saved for if she saw what I wrote she would be offended.
When we want to hide this way, it is a sign of wanting to be in darkness.
I Jn. 1 ... God is light, and in HIM is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with HIM, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:7 But if we walk in the light, as HE is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
The day after the phone call, I prayed, asking God to help me establish HIS truth about once saved/always saved doctrine.
The Holy Spirit took me to several scriptures:
I Cor. 9 ... Paul says ... 24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection:lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
Rev. 2:26 ... And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Rev. 3:5 ... He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. (This shows me that it is possible for a person's name to be blotted out of the book of life.)
Rev. 3:11 ... Behold, I come quickly:hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Rev. 3:21 ... To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
John 10 ... 25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not:the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. 26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and none is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
If we are HIS sheep, born again of HIS Spirit ... and if we follow HIM ...
Jn. 8 ... 31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Heb. 10 ... 26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 28 He that despised Moses 'law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
A very important point is the following: Jesus said ...
Mt. 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
The love for the Word of God becomes cold in us when we live among those who sin ... and when we fail to reestablish ourselves after seeing sins of those in our households, or sins of those in churches, or even sins of those in this world although we expect the world to sin.
This was the problem in the church group in Revelation 2 ... 4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
Remember that "fire" that was in us when we were first born again? Is that fire still there? Do you still "hunger and thirst" after righteousness?
If we have dimmed in our desire for God and things of God, we must repent and rekindle that fire through prayer and by following the Spirit of God after we pray.
As I continued to talk on phone with that Baptist woman Friday, there were areas where I could tell she had no understanding.
I told her the story of my friend, David, who walking out onto his porch one day, and "something happened" ... he was born again.
I could tell she had no understanding of how this was possible. She thought people became Christians by their own will, by study, by hearing the gospel. She doesn't understand that we are born again by the will of God and no man can get this for himself by his works. Being born again is a gift of God and is done by God. This makes no sense to humans. Those who are truly born again understand. Those who attend church and study Bible and are not born again do not understand until God chooses to reveal Himself to them.
II Cor. 13 ... 5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
I was baptized in water when I was 15 ... I was born again when God spoke to me by HIS Spirit when I was 37. After that, everything changed! The Holy Spirit was now in me.
This woman does not understand the Holy Spirit ... I'm sure she doesn't know these things.
- The Holy Spirit teaches us all things. (Jn. 14:26)
- The Holy Spirit reminds us of things Jesus (The Word) has said. (Jn. 14:26)
- The Holy Spirit guides us into all truth. (Jn. 16:13)
- The Holy Spirit shows us things to come. (Jn. 16:13)
The Holy Spirit is "The Comforter", "The Spirit of Truth" ... The Holy Spirit teaches us truth about all things, about people, about both spiritual and secular matters ...
Most church people do not know these things about the Holy Spirit... even some who are born again do not know these things ...
Concerning being changed instantly ... Look at the following scripture ...
Heb. 8 ... 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put MY laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts:and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord:for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
Mt. 16 ... 13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist:some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona:for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
It was not for saying "Jesus is Lord" that Peter was blessed.
Peter was blessed, says Jesus, "because flesh and blood has not revealed this to him but the Father in heaven revealed this truth to Peter."
And that "revealed" word from God is the thing Jesus would build HIS church on ...
Each of us who are born again, know it came from God and not by our own will nor from our own works.
This is what Paul explains in Romans 9 ...6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children:but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God:but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son.
10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; 11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) 12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. 13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. 17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. 18 Therefore hath HE mercy on whom HE will have mercy, and whom HE will HE hardeneth.