Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
Joshua 1:9 God says: Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
Though God said this to Joshua, I feel it applies to us also.
Dismayed means:
- to cause to lose courage or resolution
- upset, worried, agitated because of some unwelcomed situation
To be dismayed would be to feel defeated, to have a strong feeling of sadness.
These things pull us down to no avail. They can overcome us if we allow it to happen.
As Christians, God is our hope and our answer for such things. The Holy Spirit intercedes for us to help us in the areas where we are weak that we not react like the worldly people who do not have the Spirit of God.
Romans 8:26-27 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
We also have Jesus interceding for us as HE sits at the right hand of God.
Romans 8:34 It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
These are two mighty weapons to help us in times of trial, that we can overcome that which has come against us and deal with the problem, not by our flesh and that which it wants to do but rather by God's Spirit, working the will of God in a supernatural way.
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Do the following:
Philippians 4:6-7 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
***
I was working through this word "dismayed" on July 24,2019, looking up definitions of that word and thinking about the instruction telling me "be not dismayed."
That same day, Pam received a phone call from the realtor who has been handling the for-sale property in Texas. I had told her, by email, multiple times that we were going to compensate her for the time she has spent on the property, though we might need to get another realtor. (In the four months she has had the property, the house has only been shown 5 times.)
For two months there were no showings of that house. It just sat there. We had a 6-month contract with her but felt we should get free and let someone else try to market the property.
(She had a one afternoon open house and she had arranged for property to be cleaned, though we paid for the work, and she had made two or three trips to check on a/c and sprinkler. She only lives a few blocks from the property, so I knew it hadn't been too difficult for her to make these few trips.)
I felt $3000 would more than compensate her for her efforts. (That is what I planned to send her when the house sold.)
When she called, Pam told her we do want to list with another realtor and we do plan to compensate her for her efforts as soon as the house sells.
She asked immediately, "How much are you going to pay me?"
Pam replied, "Three-thousand dollars."
Then she said, "Can I get that in an email?" Then she went on to say when she receives an email from us, she will send a release form on the property ... after our email arrives.
I was shocked!
This woman is supposed to be a Christian. (She was afraid we, a church, would cheat her and she wanted evidence by email to guarantee she would be paid.)
Instantly, I wrote out a check for $3,000 from my personal savings and told Pam to put it into that day's mail.
As I wrote the check, I was reminded of the instruction to "heap coals of fire upon their heads."
(I suppose that is what I did by sending her the check.)
I looked up this scripture.
Romans 12:17-21 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
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But the main problem I had with this realtor is she is so negative. I got to the point, after 4 months, that I had to stop reading her emails. She would mention something uplifting, but then follow that with the negative side which pulled me down and I didn't need to know that anyway for there was nothing I could do about it. (This is something for each of us to watch about doing to others.)
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I pray the following over myself and Pam:
Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
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When this happened I was "stung" and upset.
But later that day, something supernatural came upon me. I had a deep compassion for this realtor. (She is probably about 75-years-old.) She has never seemed like a real Christian to me, though I think she is probably a Baptist.
Pam and I have everything ... this woman has nothing.
I saw it as her being an inch of space away … but what a distance it is between thinking you are a Christian and being born again and living a Christian life.
I sent her the following email: "Thank you ... I hope you can buy a little treat for yourself with the money sent today."
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Because of the help God gave us in the situation, and the time spent studying the word, "dismayed", and the supernatural overcoming by God of my flesh, I was able to deal with this matter in a completely different way, going against nature of man, and even came through the situation with peace and later with joy.
People who are not born again have terrible lives on this earth as they strive for things that will mean nothing.
We have everything ... not of ourselves.
I'm very aware of the short distance between me and the world in the fact that I could have been one of them and once was, until God chose me for salvation of HIS own will, certainly not of anything I was doing to earn being chosen.
I'm also very aware of the following:
I Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
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