Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
When the Lord is our shepherd, we obey that which HE tells us, we follow HIM.
I was born again in 1975. At that time I owned a small business in Dallas, Texas. I supported myself through that business.
The first thing God taught me was to get out of debt and to stay out of debt.
I took this instruction very seriously and focused on getting out of debt.
Within a short time I was out of debt. I just didn't spend any money for unnecessary items. I had a very modest apartment ($180 per month) ... I drove an old car. I charged nothing at all. When I went on buying trip for my shop, I paid cash and bought only the items I could pay for immediately.
Getting out of debt is a way of life.
If I went out to eat, I did not purchase drinks. Iced tea and such are truly expensive and unnecessary. I drank water.
When you are in debt and want to get out of debt you take extreme measures until you have paid all debt.
Getting out of debt was critical for me ... because I was to live my life as a minister of God, not having a "fixed" income. And people were going to be offended by messages from God and leave me. People who later gave offerings retired and died so offerings greatly decreased.
At the time I heard to get out of debt, I had no idea I was going to be closing my shop to go into the ministry.
I just started getting out of debt at the time I heard to do this.
There are steps to take at specific times which make us ready for that which is to come in the future. We have to take those steps in order to be ready.
But when the step lines up with Bible, we can safely do that step and need to do it.
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On July 31, 1979, I closed my business to go into the ministry.
I had no income then. I lived temporarily off the sale of the merchandise from my shop. I had no debt either since I had paid all debts when I heard to do so approximately 3 years earlier.
I had no "want" ... I had no need ... although I had no income.
I lived without any income for the next 6 months.
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January 10, 1980, as I was sleeping in the night, a trumpet-like voice blew 3 words into my ear while I was sleeping: "Hartford, Seattle, KWJS"
God put me on radio by giving me the call letters of a radio station. I made an audition tape for the radio station. They accepted me and offered me a contract. Within 5 days I was broadcasting on KWJS.
(One thing I heard to do before I went on radio was to have my telephone number unlisted, which I did as soon as I heard this.)
I was still supporting myself from the money I had from sale of the merchandise the previous year. (The merchandise was debt free so I had ample money to support myself during the next few months.)
A few months after going on radio, people from radio audience began sending offerings.
After paying radio bills, I paid myself a monthly salary of $400.
I had no want. All my needs were met. There was no lack.
But my way of life was very simple ... and I had no debt.
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If the Lord is really your shepherd, HE leads you and you follow the directions HE gives you.
HE leads you into a good place, no debt, no greed, no striving for more things, but a very comfortable situation which is right for you to enable you to live in righteousness as you follow God ... no lies, no striving for more, no hypocrisy to get ahead.
James 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
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People often say: The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want.
But they are not following that which God says to them.
They are not living in the way of God.
They want more things, more money, more of this present world.
They seek a big reputation among men and to get such lie and live in pretense to make themselves look more appealing to other humans.
And they want so many things of this present world.
So you see, the Lord is not really their shepherd though they often attend church and even quote scripture, they do not live scripture.
And their wants are great.
The Lord is your shepherd when you hear Him and obey HIM ... and then you have no wants for you submit yourselves to HIM and learn to be content with that which you have instead of wanting more.
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* and all these things shall be added unto you.
After living the way of God since 1975 (43-years), I have so many things around me to enjoy. I often do not even recall when I got these things or how it happened. God just did it for me along the way. I did not consciously pursue things.
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Matthew 6:25-34 Jesus says:
Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit (one inch) unto his stature?
And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
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You see, we can't live in pursuit of earthly things and our own desires, and follow HIS righteousness.
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want ... doesn't happen when we pursue the way of the world and greediness of our flesh.
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want ... happens when we follow God one step at a time, obeying HIM, doing as HE says ... throughout our entire life!
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