💥 When the door closes on a project, don't try to break the door down. STOP!

 

Comments by Joan Boney:

 

A woman in our church group decided to put new countertops in her kitchen.

 

As she pursued the project, nothing worked.

 

She was living in confusion and trying to make something happen and trying to find something she liked.

 

One day I was speaking with her by phone and called Pam into the room where I was talking and God gave Pam the answer.  Pam said, "Is there any reason you feel you have to do this project now?"

 

God has stopped me several times from doing something that I wanted to do.

 

We must not try to like something when do don't like it.

 

Just STOP when it doesn't work.  Maybe another time it will work. 

 

The woman did stop ... and she said, "I'm going to sleep well tonight!" 

 

*** 

 

I Timothy 6   

 

 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

 

 

💥💥💥💥💥

 

💥 Book #9: Life in Christ Series: * Overcoming Through God

(Order all books from Amazon:  E-books: 99 cents each)

 

 

Chapter 1

 

Overcoming By The Spirit Is Not Automatic 

 

 

 I was baptized in water when I was 15-years-old.

I was born again by the Spirit of God when I was 37-years-old. Then I had another spirit in me, to lead me and to guide me. Now I could overcome through God. I was a new creature.

II Cor. 5:17 … Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Overcoming through God’s Spirit is not automatic.

We learn to hear God and to pay attention to that small voice speaking in form of a thought, an idea … and then we choose to do that which is in keeping with the instruction given by that “small voice” in us, The Holy Spirit, The Spirit of Truth, The Comforter. 

 

God speaks to us by HIS Holy Spirit who brings ideas to our mind to show us what to do.  However the devil also speaks to us to take us in ways opposite to God.

 

Therefore the apostle John says:

 

I John 4:1-4  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

I have often tried the "spirit" to see if that spirit that brought me that thought is from God, by saying, "Do you confess Jesus is come in the flesh."  and after asking that question, that spirit will bring to my mind either "Yes" or "No."

 

A woman told me she had "heard" multiple times this word concerning another woman in our church: "Sandra will be moving to Colorado." 

 

 I told Sandra what Barbara said.  Sandra said, "Was that from God?"  

 

I asked Barbara did she try that spirit to see if that word was from God?  Barbara said, "No I did not."  

 

So I did.  

 

I said:  Spirit that said to Barbara, "Sandra will move to Colorado,"  do you confess Jesus is come in the flesh?  and  brought to my mind was, "No".

 

(This may sound like some kind of witchcraft, but I point out that the apostle John said to do this in the Holy Bible.)

 

So I do it because in the Bible it tells me to "try the spirit" and this is the only way I know how to try a spirit and I have seen this work.  

 

(In the end times, which I think we live in now, deception will be rampant. I believe it is very important for born again Christians to try the spirit that brought the idea or thought.)

 

*****

When I was born again in 1975, God said to me: “Joan … you know all those mistakes you’ve been making all these years? Those weren’t mistakes. Those were sins.”  (This was not an audible voice but a concept brought to my mind.)

SINS? … I was very shocked! I thought they were mistakes.

With that word from God, I was born again immediately by the Spirit of God and was given the Holy Spirit to dwell inside me to lead me and guide me.

 

 Jesus says: Concerning the Holy Spirit

 

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.

John 16:13  Howbeit when HE, the Spirit of truth, is come, HE will guide you into all truth: for HE shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever HE shall hear, that shall HE speak: and HE will shew you things to come.

But even though I was given the Holy Spirit, I still had to learn to hear which spirit was of God for we have thoughts and ideas coming by our own flesh, thoughts from devils, and thoughts and ideas from God, and often all three speak things to our minds that seem “good”.

Thus the apostle John said:

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God:  I Jn. 4:1

We can pray, asking God to confirm which thought is from the Spirit of God.

We can pray, asking God for wisdom.

James 1:5 … If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

We overcome through God … not through our own ideas.

Our flesh is greatly lifted up in pride when we do something based on our own wisdom.

But when we ask God for HIS wisdom and receive HIS direction, how can we take fleshly pride for the idea was not from ourselves but from God …

Thus we keep our flesh under submission to God by seeking God’s wisdom and by choosing God’s wisdom.

The apostle Paul said …

I Cor. 9:24 … Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.  25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

 

 

💥💥💥💥💥

Scriptures:

 

Philippians 3:13   Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,  

14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

 

 ***

Psalm 119:105  THY Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

 

 ***

 

 2 Timothy 3:16,17  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

17  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

 

***

John 15:16-17  Jesus says ... Ye have not chosen ME, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in MY name, HE may give it you.  

 

These things that I command you, that ye love one another.

 

 ***

 

Psalm 9:7-10  But the Lord shall endure for ever: HE hath prepared HIS throne for judgment.

8 And HE shall judge the world in righteousness, HE shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.

9 The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.

10 And they that know THY name will put their trust in THEE: for THOU, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek THEE.

 

 

💥💥💥💥💥

Mark 11 (Reading through the Bible)

 

1 And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, He sendeth forth two of His disciples,

² And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him.

³ And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither.

⁴ And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him.

⁵ And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt?

⁶ And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go.

⁷ And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and He sat upon him.
⁸ And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way.

⁹ And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying,

Hosanna; Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord:
¹⁰ Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.

¹¹ And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when He had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, He went out unto Bethany with the twelve.

¹² And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, He was hungry:
¹³ And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, He came, if haply He might find any thing thereon: and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.
¹⁴ And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever.

And His disciples heard it.

¹⁵ And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;
¹⁶ And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.
¹⁷ And He taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.

¹⁸ And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy Him: for they feared Him, because all the people was astonished at His doctrine.

¹⁹ And when even was come, He went out of the city.

²⁰ And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.
²¹ And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto Him, Master, behold, the fig tree which Thou cursedst is withered away.

²² And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

²³ For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

²⁴ Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

²⁵ And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
²⁶ But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

²⁷ And they come again to Jerusalem: and as He was walking in the temple, there come to Him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders,
²⁸ And say unto Him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?

²⁹ And Jesus answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.
³⁰ The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer Me.

³¹ And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; He will say, Why then did ye not believe him?
³² But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people: for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed.
³³ And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell.

And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

*****

Living Continually In Peace While We Wait For The Return Of Jesus

Chapter 1:  

 

Maybe we can help

 

 

Comments by Joan Boney:

 

(I have always been non-political.  I do not vote and am not registered with either political party in USA.  But I have begun to pray regularly for the person who is in authority as the apostle Paul said to do.)

 

I Timothy 2  (Paul says)

 

1  I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;  2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.  3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

 

***

 

Even before the election in USA in 2024, God began working with me, cleansing  evil from my heart, which I had stored in my heart, concerning things Mr. Trump had done in his personal life which I had heard about on TV news reports.

 

(If our heart has evil toward a person in authority, we can pray this over our own heart and God will do this for us.  Psalm 51:10  Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.)

 

We need our own heart cleansed before we can pray for others.

 

***

 Now I am able to pray for Mr. Trump and did pray the following:

 

* I pray that God would help Mr. Trump to put aside anger and revengeful desires and focus on getting basic things in better condition for this nation and other countries.

 

* I pray that Mr. Trump consider ways to get some of the debt owed by USA repaid.

 

* I pray that God will help our leaders concerning "giveaways".  

 

Long ago missionaries went to countries and taught the people to come to the missionaries and they would give them all types of things.  

 

Many men from other countries, who say they are "pastors", contact me by e-mail, wanting me to send them money and other things. (Some of these men may be con- men and not even have a church at all.)  So usually I direct them to go to our blog, Jesus Ministries Exhortations, where for free they can get everything I write.  And I tell them they can copy anything from our blog and distribute it to their church. 

David said:   Psalms 37:25    I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

 

I know God provides for us, the church.

 

* I pray that God will help USA to deal in ways that will help people to be able to provide for their own families by getting jobs, and working with their own hands, and by leading their own families in providing for their own families. (I know it is good and righteous for able-bodied men to work and provide for their own families.)

 

 2 Thessalonians 3:10   
    For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.    

 

💥💥💥

 

I really feel our political leaders can be helped by God when we pray for the leaders in godly ways.

 

I pray for political leaders to learn to pray, asking God to give them wisdom, as they begin to make decisions.

 

James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

 

💥💥💥 

 

Reminding us again: 

 

The apostle Paul said: I Timothy 2 ... I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

 

***

 

💥  Do we pray even when the leader displays ungodliness?   

 

I prayed asking God: And I remembered there were evil kings in the time of Peter and Paul. Herod beheaded the prophet John the Baptist because John said it was not lawful for Herod to have his brother's wife. (See Matthew 14)

 

And I recalled the following scripture: 

 

Matthew 5:43-45  Jesus says Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.  44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for HE maketh HIS sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
 

***

 

1 Timothy 2

 

3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

 

 This is the will of God.  

 

John tells us if we pray according to the will of God our prayers will be heard by God.

I John 5

14 And this is the confidence that we have in HIM, that, if we ask any thing according to HIS will, HE heareth us:

15 And if we know that HE hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of HIM.

 

💥💥💥

I have an heart and even faith to pray the following:  I pray that God give Mr. Trump a new heart and a new Spirit according to the following scripture:

 

Ezekiel 36  God says what HE will do for the NT church:

23 And I will sanctify MY great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.

24 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.

25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.

26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

27 And I will put MY spirit within you, and cause you to walk in MY statutes, and ye shall keep MY judgments, and do them.

 

Pray for those in authority.

 

💥💥💥

 

When I awake each morning I find I'm usually praying even before getting out of bed.

This morning I awoke praying for Mr. Trump and the many decisions he has to make in setting up the transition government.   I prayed for God to stop those confirmations that need to be stopped.  I'm going to try to pray for them on a regular basis.

I don't expect the world to be the church but I do think we can help our leaders by praying for them as the apostle Paul said to do.

 

Since praying for those in authority, I've had another layer of peace added to my own life.  This really surprises me.

 

(We do not have to follow what is happening by watching News in order to pray for them, because we can always pray for God to help the leaders and give them HIS wisdom in dealing with today's issues. Or we can pray for God to stop that leader from doing some if we see it as questionable.  I do know I have much more peace since I've been praying for those in authority.)

💥💥💥💥💥

Podcast:  What the Bible says will happen at the end of this world

 

 

Matthew 24  (Jesus says:)

29  Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

31 And HE (Jesus) shall send HIS angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together HIS elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

💥💥💥

When it goes totally dark in the middle of the day everyone on the whole earth will be terrified! and will know something is happening.

* The sun stops giving light and goes completely dark.

* The moon gives no light.

* The stars fall from heaven.

Total darkness results.

And what of day 2?  will the sun shine?  or will darkness continue?

💥💥💥

How could this happen? The powers of heaven have been shaken by God!

Many of the Old Testament prophets were shown this would happen.

Isaiah 13:13  God says:  Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of HIS fierce anger.

Joel 2  

1  Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in MY holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand;

2 A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.

10 The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:

Amos 5

18 Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light.

19 As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. (one problem after another)

20 Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?

 

***

Matthew 24   (Jesus says)

21  For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

By this we see some of the elect will still be living on this earth during the time of the great tribulation that is sent on this earth by God as judgment on the world.

14 plagues:  Rev. 8, 9, 16

 

But those who call on the name of the Lord will be saved and delivered, and peace comes even in times of trouble, through prayer to God, even now as we pray.

💥💥💥💥💥

💥 Book #8: Life in Christ Series: * Promises From God

(Order all books from Amazon:  E-books: 99 cents each)

 

 

 Chapter 1

Guaranteed Success In All That You Do

 

 

I was born again in 1975 and early in my life of belonging to God, I saw God’s way guaranteeing success on this earth and I believed these instructions and set about to do what these scriptures instructed and for the past 30+ years, I have seen these instructions work in my life in everything I have set myself to do.

David once said:

I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.   Psalm 37:25

God is faithful to fulfill everything HE says to us.

The time came for Moses to die … and God said the following to Joshua …

Joshua 1:2-9 … Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.

3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.

5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.

7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.

8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

9 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.

 

*****

God gave Joshua an assignment. Joshua was to replace Moses in leading the children of Israel into the promised land.

The assignment differs from our assignments but the way to achieve success is the same for us as it was for Joshua.

Hebrews 13:5-6 … Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for HE hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

God has given us HIS Spirit, the Holy Spirit.

Jesus spoke of this “promised” gift to come from God in the following scripture.

Acts 1:1-5 … The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, Until the day in which he was taken up, after that HE through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: To whom also HE shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith HE, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

When we have the Holy Spirit living in us, we have promises of God to us as follows:

     - The Holy Spirit will teach us all things … secular & spiritual …
     - The Holy Spirit will remind us of all Jesus has said to us.
     - The Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth.
     - The Holy Spirit will show us things to come.

The Holy Spirit never fails. The Holy Spirit dwells inside each believer. The Holy Spirit is with us all the days of our life. The Holy Spirit is described by Jesus as “The Comforter” … and as “The Spirit of Truth” …

Jn. 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.

Jn. 16:13 … Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

How could we be defeated in this present life? The promised gift of the Holy Spirit is one of the great promises of God to the NT church.

God has fully equipped us to succeed in life and to enter into life eternal with HIM, with Jesus (the Word), and with the Holy Spirit.

All we have to do is labor to enter into HIS rest … Heb. 3-4

We enter in through faith in God, through believing what God has said, believing what HE promises … through acting on the promises of God in an appropriate way …

*****

At the time I was born again, 1975, I owned a small business in Dallas, Texas. It was a business in American Indian Arts … jewelry, pottery, rugs …

At that time, I received a phone call from a man living in Houston, Texas. His wife had opened a business dealing in American Indian Arts. He wanted to come talk with me about this business.

I was horrified at this idea. I knew nothing at all about business.

This man said he was a graduate of Harvard Business School. He was determined to talk with me.

He came to Dallas to my shop. He began asking me about my “marketing plan” for my business.

I was saying, “God help me.”

The man continued to persist wanting to know my marketing plan.

I was praying constantly as he spoke. Finally I said to him…

I am a Christian. So before I go out to buy art objects, I pray asking God to have the Indians make the objects.

When I get to the reservations where the Indians live, I pray asking God to show me the art objects that I need to purchase.

When I get back to Dallas, I pray, asking God to send out the angels to get the people to come into my shop to buy the items.

There was dead silence.

Then this man said: “Well … that’s a type of marketing.”

That is the way I ran my business and my life … God was my strength. The Bible and the Holy Spirit were, and still are, my light as I decide what to do on this present earth. And everything I have done since setting out to follow God has prospered and had good success because I have tried to do things according to that which God said in HIS Word.

*****

Psalm 1 …

1-3 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly,

nor standeth in the way of sinners,

nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in HIS law doth he meditate day and night.

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither;

and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

It is not a matter of being a Christian … It is a matter of choosing the way of God, to meditate day and night in the Bible, to adjust to those scriptures that stand out to you, to pray for wisdom, for God to show you what to do, to then think on that word given you until you have the strength to actually do what that word says.

Jesus said: Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.  Mt. 7:13-14

Many Christians love their life and their relationships on this earth more than they love the Word of God.

You have to love the Word of God more than anyone or anything … even more than your own life, more than your own reputation, more than your own good name.

Mt. 13:44-46 … Jesus says … Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

*****

Unknown to me in 1975 when I was born again, I had a call of God on my life.

Shortly after I was born again, I was asleep in the night. I was transported into heaven. I was with God, with Jesus, with the Holy Spirit. At that time, I was “merged into the body of Jesus,” … made one with the Word of God. (this was in the spirit … there were no images … it was a spiritual experience)

I was on fire for things of God …for the Word of God …

After that, my business meant nothing to me … nothing but Bible (and the church) meant anything to me. That is all I remember thinking about.

At the time this happened, I had 3 very competent women who worked for me so I didn’t have to go into the shop at all.

I just stayed in my apartment and read the Bible all day… and when God showed me something to do from the Bible I would get up and do it …then I would return again to my apartment and read the Bible, looking for that which I was to do on this present earth.

During that time, I felt God was showing me to stop watching TV, stop going to plays and such, stop going to football games … just to stay home alone and read the Bible and do what HE showed me to do.

(I’m certainly not saying this is what anyone else should do but this is what I felt I was to do and I lived this way for several months, maybe even for a few years.)

To show you how far removed I was from this world, at one point I went on a trip to buy merchandise for my shop. One of my workers went with me. My mother and dad came to the city where I was and we were all riding down the highway and someone mentioned Jimmy Carter. I replied, “Who's Jimmy Carter?” He had just been elected president of the United States and this was the first time I had ever heard his name. Everyone in the car was shocked!

*****

You may think things work out for me because these “special things” (being taken into heaven twice) and because of the strong call of God that is on my life, but I will tell you that I have met other Christians who do not have this type of call on their lives and they, too, prosper and have good success in all that they do because they have chosen to meditate in the Word of God and try to do what the Bible says and hear from the Spirit of God.

My assignment on this earth differs from your assignment and from Joshua’s assignment but the results are exactly the same for each of us who chose to live our lives by the following plan.

Joshua 1:8 … This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Psalm 1:1-3 … Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in HIS law doth he meditate day and night.

3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither;

and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

 

Many who attend churches today live in "ungodly ways" against the Bible.  Godly people will see them even knowing about their sinful way of life. But they will not be able to stand with the righteous for God will make that impossible for them to do while they live in sins.

 

We cannot co-exist with the ungodly.  Paul says:  I Corinthians 5:6   Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? 

 

(You will be corrupted by their sin if you try to keep company with them.) 

 

11  But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

 

(Certainly God will judge them but Paul tells us we also must judge the church where sin exists in the church.)

 

2 Corinthians 6 

 

14   Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

 

(I don't believe this applies to marry couples for Paul also says:  

I Corinthians 7:12-13  But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.

13 And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.

 

The Christian mate who believes in God and Jesus lives as a Christian and if "the unbeliever is pleased to live with that believing mate", allow this.

 

15 But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace. 

 

 

💥💥💥💥💥

Scriptures:

James 1:17  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with WHOM is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

 

 ***

 

Psalm 29:2 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

 

***

 

Luke 12:1-3  ...  HE (Jesus) began to say unto HIS disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

2 For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.

3 Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. 

 

***

 

Psalm 119:129-130  THY testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them. The entrance of THY words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.

 

 

💥💥💥💥💥

Mark 10 (Reading through the Bible)

 

 1 And He arose from thence, and cometh into the coasts of Judaea by the farther side of Jordan: and the people resort unto Him again; and, as He was wont, He taught them again.

² And the Pharisees came to Him, and asked Him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting Him.

³ And He answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?

⁴ And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.

⁵ And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.

⁶ But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.

⁷ For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;
⁸ And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.

(At the time of sexual intercourse the two become "one flesh" ... we see this as Paul explains that even if you have sex with an harlot ... a prostitute ... you become one flesh.  I Corinthians 6:15-20)

⁹ What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

¹⁰ And in the house His disciples asked Him again of the same matter.

¹¹ And He saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.
¹² And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.

***

¹³ And they brought young children to Him, that He should touch them: and His disciples rebuked those that brought them.

¹⁴ But when Jesus saw it, He was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

¹⁵ Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

¹⁶ And He took them up in His arms, put His hands upon them, and blessed them.

***

¹⁷ And when He was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to Him, and asked Him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?

¹⁸ And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.

¹⁹ Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.

²⁰ And he answered and said unto Him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.

²¹ Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.

²² And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.

²³ And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto His disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!

²⁴ And the disciples were astonished at His words.

But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!
²⁵ It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

²⁶ And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved?

²⁷ And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.

***

²⁸ Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed Thee.

²⁹ And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's,
³⁰ But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.

³¹ But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.

(The hundred-fold-return has to do with giving up people and things, as needed, to follow the WORD, Jesus.)

***


³² And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid.

And He took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto Him,
³³ Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn Him to death, and shall deliver Him to the Gentiles:
³⁴ And they shall mock Him, and shall scourge Him, and shall spit upon Him, and shall kill Him: and the third day He shall rise again.

***

³⁵ And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto Him, saying, Master, we would that Thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire.

³⁶ And He said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you?

³⁷ They said unto Him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on Thy right hand, and the other on Thy left hand, in Thy glory.

³⁸ But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?

³⁹ And they said unto Him, We can.

And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:
⁴⁰ But to sit on My right hand and on My left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.

⁴¹ And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John.

⁴² But Jesus called them to Him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them.
⁴³ But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:
⁴⁴ And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.
⁴⁵ For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many.

***

⁴⁶ And they came to Jericho: and as He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.
⁴⁷ And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.

⁴⁸ And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.

⁴⁹ And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called.

And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; He calleth thee.

⁵⁰ And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.

(Casting away his prideful covering that hides himself ...)

⁵¹ And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?

The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.

⁵² And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole.

And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.

*****

💥 God selects the exact places where we will live, often for a specific reason to provide for us..

Acts 17:26  (NIV Original Translation)

 

HE (God) determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.

 

💥💥💥

 

Comments by Joan Boney:

 

From 1966 to 1971, I taught in the music department at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.  They downsized in the early 70's and I lost my job.

 

I decided to go to Albuquerque New Mexico where I got a job as orchestra director in 3 junior high schools.

 

I rented an apartment in a building overlooking Sandia Mountains.  It was a nice treat to see the mountains after living in Texas.

 

The secretary of the music department and her husband also lived in that apartment building and we became friends.  He had just taken a volunteer retirement from Kirkland AFB and was starting a business selling American Indian Arts. 

 

I was lonely there so they asked me if I would like to go out to the reservations with them after school each day to buy Indian jewelry from the various artists.

 

Then they discovered that I had a natural eye to see down into a turquoise stone and judge the quality of the stone.  

 

They asked me to go with them on Sundays to the big flea market on Central where they had a booth and sold Indian Jewelry. 

 

Then they sent me up to Santa Fe and Los Alamos to wholesale jewelry to the dealers.

 

And when I wasn't working, I could study the Indian Jewelry at the shops in Old Town .  I learned the business, the prices, and became an appraiser of the jewelry.

 

In turned out I was very good in the business.

 

***

 

SMU hired me a second time to teach so I returned to Dallas after being in Albuquerque for one year.  But I continued to sell jewelry from my home.  Jim would ship me cases of jewelry from his stock.

 

A man set up a business called Portobello Market a few blocks south of SMU.  He rented "stalls" to merchants where they sold various merchandise.  

 

A business man from SMU told me about a small mall where he was putting in a Basken Robbins Ice Cream Business and suggested I might rent space there for my jewlery.  

 

I decided to do that and built from the groupd up a beautiful shop with teakwood parquet floors and a kiva style corner fireplace and show cases built into the wall and the jewelry items displayed in the sand and on the walls.

 

It was a show place.

 

Neiman-Marcus sent people over to my shop when they wanted to buy Indian items. (Because of the design Neimans felt my shop was a natural for the man foreign visitors who came to Dallas.)

 

The shop was named:  "Dr. Joan Boney's American Indian Arts"

 

The fact that I had an earned doctorate and had taught at SMU presented me as someone they could trust in buying Indian items.

 

I kept the business open until the July 31, 1979 when I closed the business to go on radio KWJS exhorting the church.

 

During those 10 years, God caused me to be born again.  God transported me into heaven twice where HE ordained me into the ministry as apostle/prophet.

 

I had 3 competent women working for me so I could stay home at my apartment and study Bible with God teaching me by HIS Holy Spirit.

 

You can see how perfectly God set this up.

 

And I was making more money from the business than I did teaching at SMU

 

Amazing!

 

The money from the shop paid for the first month when I went on radio ... $800.

 

I had $22,000 from the shop when I closed it and that kept me going for several months until people began giving offerings.

 

It seems obvious to me that this was God's plan to finance the ministry at the beginning.

 

💥💥💥

 

God's plan for Pam Padgett, who was raised Catholic, and how God set up the early years to teach her Bible after she was born again.

 

Pam says: 

 

As a senior in high school I wanted to attend college at Oklahoma State University (OSU), but my parents wanted me to attend Central State University where my older sister was already going to school.  

 

OSU was a much larger and more active university than Central State.  I applied for, and received, scholarships at both universities.  My high school guidance counselor looked at both scholarships and determined that the one from Central State was the better scholarship.  My parents insisted I go to school there.  After I got to Central State, I learned that the scholarship was only a portion of what my guidance counselor thought.  All around, it seemed like a mistake for me to go to school at Central State. 

Not long after the first semester started, I met another freshmen named Connie Jo.  She was a born again Christian and had her own Bible and read it.  Although I was born again, I didn't know very much Bible.  I had been taught a lot of Catholic doctrine, having attending Catholic elementary school, and thought that everything I had been taught was according to the Bible.  I didn't have a Bible.  My parents had a very large Bible that sat on the living room coffee table, and we dusted it every week but didn't read it.  My younger sister had been given a very small New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs, and I read it at night until I went to college. 

One day as Connie Jo and I were talking, I said something about Mary being "assumed" into heaven.  Connie Jo simply asked "Where is that in the Bible?"  I told her I didn't know where it was in the Bible but that I was sure it was there because we had been taught this in the Catholic church.  Connie Jo told me she didn't think it was in the Bible, that she had never seen anything about that and had never been taught about that.  

More things like this came up as Connie Jo and I talked, and I noted them.  Connie Jo gave me a Bible for my birthday, a wonderful gift!  I read it often, but didn't know how to look for anything specific.  (I didn't know about concordances.)  

 

So the next time I went to my parent's house for a weekend, I looked for these things in a 3-book set of encyclopedias they had called "Catholic Books of Knowledge", which contained Catholic doctrine.  What a shock to learn that the things I had noted where not in the Bible!  These encyclopedias told how the things I looked up had been added to Catholic doctrine, and it wasn't because they were in the Bible.

As I read the Bible I came across some things that were opposite to what I had been taught in the Catholic church.  And Connie Jo continued to asked "Where is that in the Bible?" at times.  By these things I began proving the doctrine I believed.

1 Thessalonians 5:21  Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

 

Interestingly, Connie Jo had also wanted to go to OSU instead of Central State.  I don't recall how she had landed up attending Central State, but somehow both of us landed up at this smaller and less active university and became friends and spoke a lot about things of God.  

 

I feel these things helped give me a good foundation to build on as a Christian.   It's so obvious now that this was all setup by the will and plan of God for each of us.  

 

One more thing regarding my attending Central State ... Having been taught from a child that the Catholic church was the only true church, it was difficult for me to understand the differences I was seeing between the Bible and Catholic doctrine.  I thought I must somehow be missing something.  

 

But then I was led to talk with a nun who "happened" to attend Central State (a state college).  She seemed afraid when I  asked about some of the differences I had come across between the Bible and Catholic doctrine and said she didn't know the answer to my questions.  She then added, "This is why lay people should not read the Bible."  As she spoke her face turned very white, as though the blood was drained from her face.  

 

Her reaction showed me clearly that I wasn't "missing something", but that the Catholic church is not based on truth.  I left that church.  

 

Acts 17:26  (NIV Original Translation)   HE (God) determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.

💥💥💥💥💥