Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
In 1960, I moved to Dallas, Texas, where I had gotten a job.
In the second or third week, some of the women co-workers invited me to go with them to a football game.
I was very surprised that anyone willingly went to football games.
In college, I had been a member of the band and we were "required" to go to football games to perform at the half time show, but they allowed us to leave after the performance before the second half began. My friends and I always left.
The co-workers were telling me of the game and said, "It only costs $6."
I was really shocked! and replied: "You pay to go to football games?"
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I became a very quick student, paying my money for tickets, attending games, being taught to hate the opponent.
Flesh easily learns from flesh unless you belong to God, which I did not at that time in 1960.
So as good fans, we hated and strove and fretted a lot over our team.
We lost a lot but occasionally won and that was the hook, winning!
I once heard a woman jubilantly speak of going to Las Vegas and winning.
Oh, no! I thought. Winning is the worst thing that can happen to you. That really sets our flesh on fire!
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In 1975, I was born again and God began to unravel the many things I had learned from other humans and from my own flesh.
It is currently 2018, and we are still unravelling things!
We are recreated over and over by The Word brought to our attention by God through HIS Spirit through the years as we live on this earth.
When God gives us The Word on that specific issue we then have The Power to work through the problem.
Thus the apostle Paul says:
Philippian 4:13 I can do all things through Christ (The Word) which strengtheneth me.
Until God speaks to us by HIS Spirit, we can try to get free and even know what we are doing is wrong or know it is not the best thing for us to do, but fail to get free.
When we belong to God and have HIS Spirit in us, HE will overcome us.
We just take that one step when God puts HIS Word on the issue.
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My most recent dealing is with this:
James 3:17 ... The wisdom that is from above is ... without partiality ...
The Holy Spirit got my attention to "without partiality" as being wisdom from God.
"What does that mean," I asked God.
HE has been showing me for the past few weeks.
Football season started just about the same time my attention became focused on this part of the wisdom from God ... "without partiality"!
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God will win out over our flesh by that Word HE brings to our attention.
Galatians 5 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft (living in superstitions), hatred, variance (arguing, debating), emulations (trying to outdo one another), wrath (malice/wanting to see another person injured for a perceived wrong they have done), strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like:
of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
(Walk in: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: )
26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
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No ... I haven't quit watching football on TV, yet ... but I am very aware of "without partiality" as being wisdom from God! And I think on it and conform myself to it and have many opportunities to do so!
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