Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
Recently the thought came to my mind to read the NT again, starting with Acts. I believe that thought was from the Holy Spirit.
Certainly as we do that, we have an opportunity to check Bible doctrine and also to add or establish facts.
I began doing this as soon as I heard this instruction.
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After the resurrection of Jesus, HE remained on this present earth for 40 days, showing HIMSELF to other people and bringing many "infallible proofs" of HIMSELF to those who were living at that time. Acts 1:3
Jesus spoke to the apostles of things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
How exciting that must have been! Surely the fire of the Word burned through those who heard HIM.
The fire of THE WORD burns through me each time the Holy Spirit speaks The Word to me.
It is the same as it was when Jesus spoke to them before HE was taken into heaven, except with us today is it not Jesus standing there in the flesh speaking to us, but it is The Word being spoken to us by the Spirit of Jesus, The Holy Spirit, as HE brings ideas and concepts to our minds.
The Word is a fire.
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Of course ideas come to us by our own fleshly desires and ideas come through the devil.
We, who are of God, recognize the ideas that are from God by the following characteristics.
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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Though the apostles heard Jesus speak after HE was raised from the dead and before HE was taken from this earth into heaven, they did not yet have the Holy Spirit for the Holy Spirit was not given until after Jesus went into heaven.
Jesus told the disciples to remain in Jerusalem until they received "the promise of the Father" , the gift of the Holy Spirit, which Jesus had spoken of.
And what a gift The Holy Spirit is!
For the Holy Spirit lives in the believer and does the following for the believer.
* teaches us all things (John 14:26)
* reminds us of all Jesus (The Word) has said to us (John 14:26)
* guides us into all truth (John 16:13)
* shows us things to come (John 16:13)
The Holy Spirit is The Spirit of Truth.
The Holy Spirit is The Comforter! HE brings the Word of God to the believer and what a great comfort that is to us, and what great joy!
Jesus told the them:
Acts 1:5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
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And Jesus told them:
Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto ME (unto The Word) both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
It is the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit of Jesus, who is the power in us to witness to The Word of God.
Before HE comes, we can tell about the Bible but that power to witness, to convict and convince, will come from HIM. Also the power to reach people, to really change the individual, is the power of the Holy Spirit and that Word that HE has us speak. Without Him (God, The Holy Spirit) we can do nothing.
That fire of the Word comes from HIM.
As we are with another person and are reminded of The Word, we can have courage to share that portion of The Word and what God has done through The Word with the other person. Or God might want us to share an experience with the other person. Either way it is God doing the work through us.
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My aunt was a Church of Christ member. I was visiting with her and I heard this from the Spirit of God. The thought came, "Tell her about being taken into heaven."
I certainly didn't want to do that! Church of Christ people usually do not want to hear supernatural experiences although they accept what happened to Paul on the road to Damascus. (Acts 9)
But I yielded to the Holy Spirit and spoke this to her:
I was asleep in the night and God transported me into heaven. I was with God, with the Holy Spirit, and with Jesus, The Word. I saw no images. It was a spiritual experience. At that time I was merged into the body of Jesus, made one with The Word, God and the Holy Spirit witnessing.
A few nights later, the exact same thing happen again.
As I spoke, I noticed a kind of dreamy look come over my aunt's face. And when I finished speaking she said, "Something like that happened to me once and it was all golden."
My aunt had always been very different from everyone else. Now I knew the reason she was different. I doubt she had ever told anyone but me this story.
Had I not spoken, I wouldn't have known.
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We might suffer persecution for The Word's Sake, when we share, but if I am reminded of The Word or an example, I believe it is the Holy Spirit wanting me to share.
I do not plan ahead what I am going to speak to another person.
I often pray that I speak only that which God wants me to speak. I do try to keep my heart pure through prayer and settling matters with God before I meet with another person, having "no bones to pick and not trying to do anything." When I do that, my judgment should be "pure", from God, if I speak a word to another person as we visit.
But when I am reminded of The Word while I am with that person, I go forward, sharing in faith, knowing that is likely what God wants me to share because it is the Holy Spirit who reminds me of that which Jesus, The Word, has said and has done.
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Paul said: Let all things be done unto edifying. I Corinthians 14
To edify: To build the other person in the faith in God.
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