Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
In the early 1980's, I was well acquainted with Marilyn Hickey. She came to Dallas to conduct a meeting and I picked her up at airport and helped get her to her hotel.
She shipped a large number of books and tapes which she offered for sale at her meetings.
It was amazing she could afford to ship so many boxes on the airplane.
Then she told me how she managed to do this for very little cost!
She said, "Get a large roll of dollar bills and roll them up ... drive up to curb and let the man who checks items see that roll of bills." (these were days before security checks) "He will check all the boxes onto your flight and then you hand him the roll of money."
It was several days before I realized this was defrauding the airline.
It just seemed very wise!
We can certainly deceive ourselves as ministers.
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At her meetings, Marilyn often told this story concerning when she started out in ministry.
Marilyn said a friend told her she was one of the most boring speakers she had ever heard.
So Marilyn acquired a drama coach to help her to become interesting to the audience.
The apostle Paul described himself as follows:
I Corinthians 2:1-5 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.
And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
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God taught me to speak that which I heard from HIM, just depending upon the Holy Spirit who would call to my mind scriptures or concepts and I was to speak that word, which was from God and would provide for the congregation.
I would read the Bible and depend on the Holy Spirit rather than plan ahead concerning that which I would speak.
And the following scripture showed me what to do.
John 5:30 Jesus said: I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
I was certain that only God knew what each group of people needed to hear and I could do nothing that was of God but speak that which the Holy Spirit brought to my mind as I recorded radio broadcasts or wrote writings or spoke in meetings.
So I just spoke that which I heard in my mind as I walked onto the stage or sat down to write or record.
I depended on these things that Jesus said the Holy Spirit would do.
This is what I still do today.
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Marilyn, at that time in 1981-82, wanted to go on television.
She said to me, "Joan ... please pray that Michael Ellison will approve my going on TV." (Michael Ellison ... not God.)
Michael Ellison was Marilyn's advertising agency ... my agent too for a few months.
(I never prayed this.)
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Deceiving ... and being deceived.
II Timothy 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
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