Philippians 3:1-3 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord (in The Word). To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.
Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
(Beware of the Jews ... today beware of the church people who think they belong to God because they have been baptized in water or have "joined" a church group.)
For we are the circumcision, which worship God (The Word) in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus (The Word), and have no confidence in the flesh.
For we are the circumcision, which worship God (The Word) in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus (The Word), and have no confidence in the flesh.
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Paul says:
4-9 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ (The Word).
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord (The Word): for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ (The Word),
And be found in HIM (in The Word), not having mine own righteousness (that which he, Paul did by his own mind and efforts), which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ (The Word), the righteousness which is of God (The Word) by faith:
Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ (The Word).
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord (The Word): for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ (The Word),
And be found in HIM (in The Word), not having mine own righteousness (that which he, Paul did by his own mind and efforts), which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ (The Word), the righteousness which is of God (The Word) by faith:
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Comments by Joan Boney (apostle/prophet)
We can follow God by the letter of the law, by thinking we are doing the scriptures ... such as "be baptized" ... and we can even go forward at church and be baptized, and still not be of God.
(I did this when I was about 15. I went forward. I was baptized. I didn't want to go to hell. I thought this was the way to keep from going to hell. My seeing the scripture and doing what it said, was not "the way". The way is through The Word which is revealed to us by God through HIS Spirit.)
Salvation is of God and not of ourselves.
When we hear from God by HIS Spirit everything is different.
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Paul was persecuting the Christians by the letter of the law, thinking he was doing righteousness.
Paul was very highly trained in the scriptures, in the Old Testament and in the religion of the Pharisees.
Paul was very admired by the Pharisees.
But after God revealed Jesus to HIM on the road to Damascus, the men who once loved Paul hated him and tried to kill him.
That often happens after God reveals The Word to us by HIS Spirit.
Therefore we have no confidence in our fleshly emotions for such is often vanity and as vapor and leads us wrongly.
Our confidence is in that which God has revealed to us by HIS Spirit for that will never fail!
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Acts 9:1-16 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou ME?
And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.
Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.
But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto Me, to bear My name (The Word) before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for My name's sake (The Word).
And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou ME?
And he said, Who art thou, Lord?
And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?
And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.
And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.
And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.
And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.
And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.
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And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias.
And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.
And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.
Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.
But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto Me, to bear My name (The Word) before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for My name's sake (The Word).
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I was baptized in water when I was 15 ... but I was not born again.
When I was 37-years-old, God brought, by HIS Spirit, the following to me in the form of a thought ...
"Joan ... you know those mistakes you've been making all these years? Those weren't mistakes. Those were sins."
"Sins?" I was shocked, horrified.
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I had been staying in the home of my best friend and her husband as I was recovering from an operation.
As I left her house the next morning, I said to her: "Oh ... by the way, Donna ... I don't think I've been a Christian until now ..."
Donna stopped what she was doing and said ... "Joanie ... stop ... wait ... what did you just say? Come back here!"
I told her what God has said to me the night before!
NOW I WAS CHANGED! Not by the will of my own flesh but by the will of God.
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Romans 9:6-8 they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
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.
Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
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.
15-16 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.
So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
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So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
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When we are born again by the will of God by HIS Spirit, we know we didn't do it ourselves by our own will or efforts.
Recently a Catholic woman called me on phone to visit after an absence of many months.
I said to her, "What have you been doing?"
She hesitated and then replied, "I've been trying to do good things."
She went on to say one of her neighbors had her adult aged son die. She took this neighbor to dinner and talked with her. The neighbor seemed to be helped by this.
I knew this Catholic woman had no idea what is good ... though I'm sure she thinks she does. She has no interest in hearing what God has done but rather desires to hear when men have done, praising men.
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Genesis 3:1-6 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
(God did not say they could not touch the tree. Eve added this to The Word that God spoke to Adam.)
And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
(Humans greatly desire to be wise in their own eyes, without God leading them thus being "as gods", not needing God.)
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
When Eve did what the devil said, sin followed.
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James 1:14-15 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
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When God speaks to us by HIS Spirit, we come to God though Jesus, THE Word.
Jesus said:
I (The Word) am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by ME (The Word). John 14:6
When The Word is revealed by God to us, we come to HIM.
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Matthew 16:13-18 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?
And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
HE saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
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.
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.
And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
HE saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
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.
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.
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The rock was that Word revealed by God ... The gates of hell shall not prevail against that Word revealed to us by God by HIS Spirit.
Those born again have been given the Spirit of God to live inside them and God speaks to us by HIS Spirit showing us what to do in life. I Corinthians 2
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