Building your house on the word from God

Be not overcome by the cares of this world

(This podcast was previously published on February 4, 2021)
 
Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...
 
Jesus says, concerning the end times:
 
Luke 21:34  And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting (over indulgence), and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
 
On January 6, 2021, we watched a crowd of people storm the USA Capitol building in an attempt to overthrow the 2020 USA presidential elections.
 
I'm sure none of us in USA have ever experienced anything like this before in our lifetimes.
 
After the event, 10 USA republican congress members voted to impeach President Trump for inciting the riot which we all watched on television.
 
This really caught my attention for everyone heard the words spoken by President Trump before the riot and we heard him send the crowd to the capitol and Mr. Trump even told the crowd to go, and "he would be there with them,"  but he wasn't.
 
A few days later, CNN reported that the republicans were trying to cause those 10 who voted against Trump to suffer loss for the way they voted.
 
I was sad and grieved over their suffering.
 
I took on a care of this world.
 
Jesus warned us not to be "overcharged" with cares of this life.  (Luke 21:34)
 
When I read this scripture, I repented for allowing myself to become so involved in this world, and I prayed, asking God to please help those 10 men and women who were being hurt by their own political party for doing that which they believed to be right and reasonable.
 
I even began to feel democracy itself was in danger.
 
But then I realized this entire heaven and earth will be destroyed, and governments of men along with the heavens and earth.  And I began to get a grip on myself and on Biblical reality.
 
II Peter 3
 
10  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
 
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
 
12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
 
13 Nevertheless we, according to HIS promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
 
14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of HIM in peace, without spot, and blameless.
 
***
 
I've always considered myself to be non-political, I am not registered in either political party in USA, and I do not vote for governments of men.
 
But for one very brief time, I knew what it was to care.  And it could have destroyed me except I turned to God for HIM to restore me.
 
This is what the truly godly people were like in the Bible:
 
Hebrews 11
 
8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
 
9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
 
10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
 
13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
 
14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
 
15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
 
(mindful:  having a mind filled with that)
 
16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for HE hath prepared for them a city.
 
The apostle Peter in the Bible tells us to be diligent to be found by Jesus when HE returns, living in peace, without spot and without blame.  (II Peter 3:14)
 
Keeping ourselves in a state of peace even in the midst of that which is being done around us is the way we are to live and we can do that only through prayer.
 
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.
 
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
 
***
 
I Timothy 2:1-2   I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;  For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
 
 💥💥💥💥💥
 
* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog

Overcoming and obtaining victory through God

(This podcast was previously published on January 29, 2021)
 
Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...
 
From the time I was born again in 1975, God taught me to come to HIM in prayer over each problem of this life and to depend on HIM to give me the Word to deal with the problem.  Then I could stand on that Word or use that Word to give me information to know what to do in the situation of this present life.  This never fails!
 
Jesus says:  He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before MY Father, and before HIS angels. (Revelation 3:5)
 
I attended a Faith Movement church, Word of Faith, from 1977-1982, and they taught people to hunt a scripture and to stand on that scripture.
 
(I never heard anyone at Word of Faith say we should turn to God and ask God "HIS will" in the matter at hand.)
 
But I was taught by God to turn to HIM when I had a problem.  Then God would bring to me a scripture or a concept and I "stood" on that which God brought to me.
 
If we hunt a scripture and stand on that scripture we are trying to "be God".  That is antichrist.
 
There is a subtle difference between hunting a scripture and turning to God for help.
 
In one case you are doing everything without actually turning to God, thus being your own God by trying to find a scripture which fits your problem.
 
In the other case you are turning to God for help and depending on God.
 
In hunting a scripture you depend on yourself.
 
In the other case you depend on God and your faith is in God.
 
I didn't see the difference between what I was doing and what they were teaching at Word of Faith until I left Word of Faith and God showed me the difference.
 
In 1982, God brought me out of Word of Faith church by giving me a dream.  Then God showed me the difference between overcoming through God and trying to have faith apart from God.
 
Jesus says:  (Ye) Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of ME.   And ye will not come to ME, that ye might have life.  (John 5:39-40)
 
Romans 10:17   So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
 
(Examples in this Podcast)
 
*****
 
After God showed me the difference between the doctrine of finding a scripture without turning to God, and turning to God for HIS help, I saw they, at Word of Faith, were doing something very different from that which God had taught me to do.
 
I said to my Bible teacher at Word of Faith, "I didn't know I was different from those people at Word of Faith."
 
Our Bible teacher said to me:  "Joan, you were never like anyone at Word of Faith.  They talk about faith, but you live faith."
 
Our teacher said this to me in 1982.  In 2021, I still live by turning to God and letting HIM show me what to do when there is a problem.
 
No other way is safe.  But when we trust God by turning to God in prayer and by waiting on HIM to reveal to us what to do, it is always safe.  God knows future and HE will take you in a way that works as events come upon this earth.
 
We build our faith on that Word which is revealed to us by God by HIS Spirit.
 
Romans 8:14  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
 
💥💥💥💥💥 
 
* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog

Child abuse in religious settings

(This podcast was previously published on January 28, 2021)
 
Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...
 
At no place in the Bible does God mention the sin of child abuse.  Why?  I believe this is because all humans know this is evil.  I believe the Holy Spirit put it in all humans that child abuse is a great evil.  Thus if we resist the Holy Spirit it would be an unpardonable sin, a sin against the Holy Spirit.  I believe this is what we see in child abuse in the Catholic church, an unpardonable sin among those men they call "priests".
 
Matthew 12:31  Jesus says:  Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
 
One thing I do know, we must judge the church (not the world).  I Corinthians 5:11
 
The people in the churches often want to judge the world but the apostle Paul explains this to us in I Corinthians 5 that we must judge the church.
 
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.  For what have I to do to judge them also that are without (without the church)? do not ye judge them that are within? (You are to judge within, within the church) But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
 
Are there different levels of sin?  Yes.  Look at the following scriptures:
 
I Corinthians 6:18   Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
 
Matthew 23:14  Jesus says  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
 
How can any group calling itself a church try to cover up child abuse?
 
And why is child abuse so rampant in the Catholic church?
 
They set up a rule forbidding their "priests" to marry, but that rule is opposite from the rules concerning ministers as spoken by the apostle Paul in the Bible.  By doing this the Catholics set up a natural haven for perverts.
 
If our foundation is anything but the Bible, we set ourselves up for a great fall.
 
*****
 
Matthew 7  Jesus says:
 
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
 
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
 
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
 
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
 
***
 
The example we have in the New Testament Bible is the following:  The apostle Peter was married and had children.
 
Matthew 8:14-15   And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, HE saw his (Peter's) wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever.  And HE (Jesus) touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.
 
So we know the apostle Peter had a wife.
 
Peter also had multiple children for in the Bible Peter tells us he is an elder (also called bishop).
 
Here is a requirement for an elder (bishop) in the church.
 
Titus 1:6-9   If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.  For a bishop (elder) must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;  But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;  Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
 
Whoever set up the Catholic church, said their ministers could not marry.
 
By doing this they violated the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament for the church and by doing this set up a type of haven for perverts among their ministers.
 
For many decades Catholic priests have abused children and other Catholic hierarchy have covered up for these child abusers in their church, often transferring these abominable child abusers to another city and another Catholic church.
 
And there is no such thing as a "priest" as a minister in the New Testament church.  Jesus set up ministers as follows:
 
Ephesians 4:11-12   And HE (Jesus) gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
 
If you change any part of the New Testament Bible, you bring upon yourselves damnation.
 
💥💥💥💥💥
 
* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog

If you return to your old sins after you have been enlightened by God, it is a very serious matter

(This podcast was previously published on February 13, 2021)
 
Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...
 
Jesus died for our sins.
 
But after we are enlightened by the Spirit of God to a sin, if we turn away from the truth from God and return to that sin, there is no more sacrifice for that sin.
 
Hebrews 10:26  For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
 
So if you were a drunkard and then born again and have been freed from being a drunkard and you are enlightened by God to drunkenness being a sin, if you fall away from the truth concerning this sin and return to being a drunkard, there is no more sacrifice for sins.
 
Jesus was crucified once for our sins.  To return to those sins after we have been enlightened by God to that sin would be to crucify Jesus afresh.
 
Hebrews 6:4-8   For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put HIM to an open shame.
 
7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:
 
8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
 
The apostle Peter says it would have been  better if a person had never been enlightened to the truth of God rather than to turn away from that truth and return to old sins.
 
II Peter 2:20-21  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
 
21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
 
Jesus says:
 
Revelation 3:5  He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before MY Father, and before HIS angels.
 
After we are born again, to return to our old sins has dire consequences.
 
*****
 
Hebrews 10 warns us to exhort one another and even more as we see the day of the Lord approaching to help that brother in Christ to abstain from his past sins and keep from being swept away from the church in the last days.
 
Hebrews 10
 
23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for HE is faithful that promised;)
 
24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
 
25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
 
26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
 
27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
 
28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
 
29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
 
30 For we know HIM that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto ME, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge HIS people.
 
31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
 
***
 
II Peter 2
 
1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
 
2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
 
3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
 
4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
 
5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
 
6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
 
7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:
 
8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)
 
9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
 
10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.
 
11 Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.
 
12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;
 
13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;
 
14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
 
15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
 
16 But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.
 
17 These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.
 
18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
 
19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
 
20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
 
21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
 
22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
 
***
 
The man who was our Bible teacher when I attended Word of Faith was secretly having sex with women outside of marriage.  This man was going to bars and women would proposition him and he would also "chase" women for sex.
 
None of us in our Bible class knew this was going on.
 
But a woman who owned a coffee shop mentioned his name to me.  I revealed to her that he was my Bible teacher at the church I attended.  She said to me, "Oh.  He is such a terrible influence on my boyfriend."
 
I was terribly shocked.  Here was a worldly woman telling me that our Bible teacher was a terrible influence for her boyfriend!
 
Then she mentioned his girlfriend.
 
None of us knew he had a girlfriend.  He was living a life at church and a life in private.
 
This is terrible.  We have one life and that is a life in Christ.  And we live openly and honestly before all.
 
I went to this man and asked him about this "girlfriend".  He tried to be evasive.
 
I then point blank said to him, "Are you having sex with this woman?"
 
He replied, "Of course."
 
I said, "You know the Bible as well as I do.  I can have no more to do with you."
 
He replied, "That's right."
 
I could no longer attend his Bible classes.
 
Is there any hope at all for this man?  He was definitely enlightened to the truth of God concerning fornication.
 
There is one possible way for him.
 
Paul said:
 
I Corinthians 5
 
1 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.
 
2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
 
3 For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,
 
4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
 
5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
 
I did learn later that this man who had been our Bible teacher could no longer have sexual intercourse.  I assumed his flesh had been destroyed by Satan.  That gives me hope for the salvation of his spirit in the day of the Lord.
 
💥💥💥💥💥 
 
* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog

A man in our church filed divorce papers against his wife. I contacted him.

(This podcast was previously published on January 26, 2021)
 
Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...
 
There is one scriptural time when a man can divorce his wife and that is if the wife is committing fornication.  (adultery)
 
Jesus said:
 
Matthew 5:32   But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
 
I asked Joseph, "Is your wife committing fornication?"
 
Joseph replied, "No."
 
I told him fornication is the only scriptural reason for a man to divorce his wife.
 
If he divorces a "faithful wife" and that "faithful wife" remarries after he divorces her, he will be the cause of her adultery according to what Jesus says in Matthew 5:32.
 
But if the wife is not pleased to live with him, let her depart.
 
I Corinthians 7:12  If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.  I Corinthians 7:15 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.
 
Joseph withdrew the divorce proceedings from the government courts.
 
Consider Mark 10 also:  Jesus says:
 
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.
 
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.
 
*****
 
Concerning a woman who wants to divorce her husband:
 
I Corinthians 7:10-11 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:  But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.
 
I Corinthians 7:39 The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.
 
Romans 7:1-3
 
1  Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?
 
2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.
 
3  So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.
 
💥💥💥💥💥 
 
* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog

Sexual intercourse causes two to become one flesh. Flee fornication.

(This podcast was previously published on January 18, 2021)
 
Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...
 
In today's society, even in some churches, fornication is rampant.
 
The one thing that might hold some people back is a scripture where Paul explains that at the time of sexual intercourse, two become one flesh.
 
I Corinthians 6:15-16   Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.   What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith HE, shall be one flesh.
 
(Paul explains that even if you have sex with a prostitute, you become one flesh with that prostitute.)
 
Then Paul tells us sexual sins are different from all other sins for sexual sins are sins against your own body.
 
I Corinthians 6:18   Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
 
💥💥💥💥💥
 
* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog

Antichrist: The apostle John told the church of his day about antichrist. And we learn from John.

(This podcast was previously published on January 27, 2021)
 
Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...
 
As a new Christian in 1975, I attended a church named Word of Faith.  Some of the women were speaking of the antichrist.  This is the first time I had ever heard of antichrist.  One woman said she thought antichrist was Henry Kissinger.
 
In the book, War & Peace, Tolstoy said the Russian Catholic Church people thought the antichrist was Napoleon, who was attacking Russia in the early 1800's.
 
I recall my aunt, who was Christ of Christ, saying the Catholic church and their pope was antichrist.
 
Some in WWII thought antichrist to be Adolph Hitler.
 
It is amazing, but the apostle John tells us about antichrist in I John 2.
 
(I've never heard these scriptures taught at any church, but these scriptures are in our New Testament Bibles, and tell the answers to these questions.)
 
* Is antichrist one man?
 
* Does antichrist come through the governments of men?
 
The apostle John says:
 
I John 2:18-19   Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
 
19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us (in our church group): but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
 
So John tells us there are many antichrists.  And antichrist had been in their church group, in John's time on this earth, which showed it to be "the last time".  (The end time began with the resurrection of Jesus into heaven.)
 
Paul tells us the following:  Many of the elders in the church at Ephesus were just waiting for him, Paul, to depart so they could rise up and speak "perverse things" to the church at Ephesus.  (antichrist: opposite to Christ, The Word)
 
Acts 20:29-30 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.  Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
 
And Paul explained:
 
II Thessalonians 2:3-4   Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
 
(In 1982, God said to me:  "The falling away spoken of by Paul in II Thess. 2, is not men leaving the church groups.  The falling away are church groups leaving the scriptures."  And when this happens, antichrist comes into the church groups and cast aside certain scripture and sets up doctrines in the church which are opposite to scripture.)
 
2 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
 
Antichrist comes through the churches.  Antichrist is a "spirit" in many men. as the devil is a spirit that operates through many men.
 
I discuss these things on this Podcast.
 
*****
 
The main scriptures to study concerning antichrist are the following:
 
I John 2:18-19   Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
 
19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us (in our church group): but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
 
***
 
II Thessalonians 2:3-4   Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day (of the Lord) shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
 
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
 
***
 
The falling away from scripture is the restraint keeping antichrist out of the church, and when this falling away from scripture takes place, antichrist moves into "that" church group.
 
We are seeing this in churches today as they turn from scriptures and set up other doctrines in their churches.
 
This means Jesus can come at any time now, for this was ordained to happen before Jesus could return.
 
May God give understanding to all who belong to Him
💥💥💥💥💥 
 
* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog

Concerning divorce & remarriage

(This podcast was previously published on February 16, 2021)
 
Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ... 
 
When a woman called me wanting to talk about her mother's second marriage, God said to me:  "Just focus on what the scriptures say."
 
God showed me it is not needful to talk about the circumstances of the divorce and remarriage.
 
When a man in our church group filed for divorce in the USA courts, I asked him if his wife was committing fornication, and he said she was not committing fornication.
 
The only scriptural reason for a man to divorce his wife is because she is committing fornication. (Matthew 5:32)
 
After reviewing this scripture, he withdrew the divorce papers from the court system.
 
Matthew 5:32  Jesus says:   But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
 
- If a faithful wife remarries after divorce she commits adultery.
 
- If a man divorces a faithful wife, he will be the cause of her adultery if she remarries.
 
- The man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
 
It is important to compare scripture with scripture.
 
I Corinthians 7:10-11   And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband:  and let not the husband put away his wife.
 
39  The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.
 
*****
 
Mark 10
 
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.
 
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.
 
***
 
Psalm 51:10   Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
 
***
 
At the time of sexual intercourse two become one flesh, even if a man has sex with a prostitute.
 
I Corinthians 6
 
15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.
 
16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith HE, shall be one flesh.
 
17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
 
18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
 
***
 
Romans 7:1-3  Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?  For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.  So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.
 
***
 
I Corinthians 7
 
12 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.
 
14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.
 
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.
 
16 For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?
 
17 But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.
 
***
 
Matthew 5
 
27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
 
28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
 
29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
 
30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
 
💥💥💥💥💥
 
* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog

The new heaven and new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness

(This podcast was previously published on February 7, 2021)
 
Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...
 
If we are looking for righteousness, fairness, justice on this present earth, we will likely be gravely disappointed.
 
It is in the new heavens and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness, says the apostle Peter.
 
2 Peter 3:10-14
 
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
 
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
 
12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
 
13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
 
14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
 
No matter what we do, we will not be able to make this present earth righteous.
 
The sin nature of man until he is born again requires that man be born again by God.  Many attend churches but few are actually born again by God.
 
The natural man cannot see the things of the Spirit of God, says Paul.
 
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.
 
If we look for justice and righteousness on this present earth we will likely end up being greatly disappointed.  For men have compromised away their integrity and have become like men in the days of Noah.
 
Genesis 6:5-8
 
5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
 
6 And it repented the LORD that HE had made man on the earth, and it grieved HIM at HIS heart.
 
7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
 
8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
 
The apostle Paul tells us the following:
 
2 Timothy 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
 
In the end, before Jesus returns, God will bring HIS wrath, the great tribulation, upon ungodly men of this world.  (Revelation 8, 9, 16) Then God shakes the powers of heaven. (Matthew 24:29)  And then comes Jesus through the clouds and sends HIS angels to gather his elect and take them off this present earth and take them to the new Jerusalem wherein dwells righteousness.  (Matthew 24:30-32  and Revelation 21:1-5)
 
It is on the new earth, the new Jerusalem, wherein dwelleth righteousness that we so much want as the elect of God.  And this is where Jesus takes us in our new spiritual bodies.  (I Corinthians 15:49-51)
 
*****
 
I Thessalonians 4
 
13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep (dead), that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
 
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with HIM.
 
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (precede) them which are asleep.
 
16 For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
 
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
 
(We meet in the air for this present heaven and earth will be destroyed by God by fire.)
 
***
 
We are changed, given new spiritual bodies:
 
I Corinthians 15
 
47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
 
48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
 
(As we are born in the physical image of our parents or relatives, we will be born in the image of God, a spirit, when we are taken into heaven.)
 
49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
 
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
 
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep (die), but we shall all be changed,
 
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
 
(Blink your eyes.  That is how fast we will be removed from these physical bodies and changed into spirits in the image of God.)
 
***
 
Then we are taken into the new heaven and new earth which God has created for us, HIS people.
 
Revelation 21
 
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
 
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
 
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and HE will dwell with them, and they shall be HIS people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God.
 
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
 
5 And HE that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.
 
***
 
Revelation 22
 
12 And, behold, I come quickly; and MY reward is with ME, to give every man according as his work shall be.
 
13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
 
14 Blessed are they that do HIS commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
 
15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
 
***
 
II Peter 3
 
10  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
 
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
 
12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
 
13 Nevertheless we, according to HIS promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
 
14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of HIM in peace, without spot, and blameless.
 
💥💥💥💥💥
 
* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog

Part 3: Examples: Working the works of God because we believe the Word

(This podcast was previously published on January 24, 2021)
 
Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ... 
 
John 6:28-29 Then said they unto HIM, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on HIM whom HE hath sent.
 
Examples:
 
From the time I was born again in 1975, God spoke to me many times by HIS Holy Spirit who brought information to my mind concerning the situations of this present life.  By these, I knew the will of God for me in the matter at hand.
 
A few of these examples are as follows:
 
* December 6, 2018
 
In the night, I fell in the hallway about 6 feet from my bedroom.  I lived alone at that time.  I was badly injured as I fell on the hall floor.  I felt my left hip was broken and my left hand was bent completely backward from my wrist.
 
I managed to roll my body onto my right hip and I started trying to crawl to the bedroom where there was a phone on the night stand.  My goal was to pull on phone cord so the receiver of the phone would fall onto the floor where I could reach it and call for help.
 
But as I tried to inch my way down the tile hallway, the pain was so severe I felt I would lose consciousness.
 
I couldn't do this.  I couldn't get to the bedroom.  But if I didn't, I felt I would die on the floor in that hallway, for no one was due at my house for another 8 days.
 
Then I heard this word from God by the Holy Spirit:  "You can do this."
 
Because I believed "that" word, I began to move toward bedroom inch by inch.
 
It took me 4 1/2 hours to reach the carpet area of the bedroom, which was about 6 feet from the place I had fallen in the hallway.
 
It was even more difficult to crawl when I got to the carpet.  But because of that word from God telling me, "You can do this," I made myself to keep crawling.
 
When I reached the phone and pulled on the cord, the receiver squirted off and I never saw the phone receiver again.
 
But under the table I saw a Kindle tablet which had been recharging.
 
If I could reach that tablet maybe I could get an email out to our church group and get them to send ambulance to my house!
 
I tried several times to send email.  I was almost unconscious and could barely see the screen of the Kindle tablet, and I only had one hand to work with, for the other wrist was broken and the hand was doubled backward and could not be used.
 
About 30 minutes later I heard someone at my front door.  I knew one of the church members had gotten my email where I said, "fallen ... help ... send ambulance".
 
(Pam Padgett who lived in Colorado got the email and called the Lubbock, Texas, police department and told them what had happened and asked police to send ambulance to my house in Texas.)
 
As they had me on hospital gurney and were rolling me past my front door to take me to hospital, I heard these words from the Holy Spirit of God. "You'll never see this house again."
 
I didn't care.  I knew God had a plan for me!  And what a plan it turned out to be!
 
***
 
*  February 24, 2019
 
I was in rehabilitation hospitals for 2 1/2 months after surgery. 
 
During that time God worked it out for me to move into home of Pam Padgett in Colorado.  
 
Pam came several times from Colorado to Texas (450 miles one way).
 
On one of the trips, Pam managed to get my cat into a cat carrier (3 hours to do this), and she took the cat to Colorado as she drove my 25 year old car, in January 2019.
 
I was released from rehabilitation hospital on February 24, 2019.
 
(I was 81 years old at that time and I couldn't walk except by a walker and then only a few feet.)
 
Pam flew from Denver to Texas to help me with the plane trip.
 
I took pain and nausea medicine and we flew to Denver, Colorado, and drove another 60 miles to Colorado Springs to Pam's house.
 
When we got to Pam's house, I had a great deal of difficulty getting into the house because of a step on the porch.
 
I could walk and was using walker.  It looked like I wasn't going to be able to get up that step.  But I kept trying and finally did make it into Pam's house.
 
The next thing we did was put a ramp from garage to laundry room of Pam's house.  I still use that ramp to get in and out of the house.
 
***
 
*  March, 2020
 
I had put the house in Texas on the real estate market in December, 2018.
 
It did not sell for the next 1 1/2 years.
 
I kept praying!
 
Coronavirus became known to all in USA on March 11, 2020, when businesses began closing, and all sporting events were cancelled in USA.
 
(Never before had we seen anything like this!)
 
People were terrified!  and I was saying to God, "What about that house in Texas? Is there anything You want me to do?"
 
Instantly I heard following from the Holy Spirit of God:  "Reduce the price of the house and put it on a special sale price for the next week."
 
I told my realtor in Texas to do this.
 
The house sold in 2 days.
 
Then complications occurred and the buyers backed out.
 
But a year before this God had given me an open vision of that house in Texas.  I saw a man intently looking at the house.  Then he drove past the house on the north side and he was looking at the house all the time he was slowly passing the house.  When he got to the alley behind the house, he stopped his car and backed up to the side of the house and was staring at the house.
 
And this is exactly what happened in the open vision God had given me.
 
The buyers who backed out of the contract, came back.  But my realtors had quit and the buyers had to deal with my new realtor.
 
I had to raise the price of the house by $7,000 to cover the inspection requests of the buyers, and subsequent repairs made to the house. 
 
They decided to buy the house anyway.
 
We closed on May 15, 2020, and the check was wired to my bank in Colorado.
 
It was over!   finally!
 
(My income was helped greatly, for that house had been costing us $500 per month while it sat empty.  I was struggling to meet expenses in Colorado until the house actually sold and the expenses on the Texas house stopped!)
 
***
 
* June, 2020
 
I was considering having new upholstery put on the seats of my 26-year-old-car and the Holy Spirit spoke this to me by bringing this to my mind: "Or you could just buy a new car."
 
I had never thought of doing "that".
 
I thought about it and then I replied, "That's right!"
 
The house in Texas had sold.  The money was in the bank.  I could buy a new car and pay cash.
 
(If I didn't have the cash, I would know it was not the Spirit of God speaking to me because in approximately 1975, after I was born again, God told me to "Get out of debt and stay out of debt."  I had been debt free since that time and have fought many time to stay out of debt through the years.)
 
That same night, God gave me a dream.  "I bought a new car."
 
When I awoke that morning, I told Pam Padgett what had happened.  I told her I would like to go out immediately and look for a new car.  By noon, we were going to various car dealers.  We bought the car that day and they delivered it to us on the following Monday.  That was June, 15, 2020.
 
(I was 82-years-old then.  God arranged for me to live in home of Pam Padgett in Colorado Springs.  She is considerably younger than I am.  (65 I think.)  Pam does all the technical work for the blog, the books on Amazon, the Podcasts, and now Twitter. She retired from Fed-Ex as a computer programmer.  She is one of the most God-centered persons I have ever met.  When a problem arises, she prays.  Usually she doesn't mention the problem to me.  She just talks to God about the problem and waits until God brings her the solution and then after the solution comes, often she tells me the problem and the solution God gave her. Therefore she usually doesn't trouble me with her problems!  She turns to God:  Phil. 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 (The Word).
 
We put both of our old cars up for sale on local internet.
 
Pam's car, a 16-year-old Acura MCX, sold immediately.
 
My old car, a 26-year-old Lincoln Town Car did not sell.
 
We drove the new car for about one month and liked it.
 
Then a series of troubles began with the new car!  And several times we had to take it back to the dealer.
 
But we still had my old car and it ran just fine!  So once we used it while the new car was at dealer, and later we borrowed a loaner car from dealer.  The new car had to go back to dealer several times as various problems surfaced.
 
When God tells you to do something, it doesn't mean it will be trouble free.  We overcame each problem by turning to God and talking with God and waiting until God showed us what to do.  The answer might come immediately.  Or it might be a few years later, like in the case of the sale of the house in Texas.  But the solution to the problem always comes, for God is faithful to help us while HE leaves us on this present earth.
 
💦💦💦
 
It is critical that we overcome, through God, the problems of this world which surface in our lives because of the following statement which Jesus made to the church at Sardis.
 
Revelation 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before MY Father, and before his angels.
 
💥💥💥💥💥 
 
* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog

Part 2: Examples: Working the works of God because we believe

(This podcast was previously published on January 23, 2021)
 
Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ... 
 
John 6:28-29 Then said they unto HIM, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on HIM whom HE hath sent.
 
On Part One, of this subject of "Doing the Work of God by believing that word given us by God,"  I had no idea that there would be a Part 2. 
 
The instructions in this second Podcast cover a very wide range of subjects which deal with praying over each of our problems and then recognizing the Word given us when God speaks after we pray.
 
I also speak of how antichrist gets into the churches and the way the restraint is removed which allows antichrist to come into the church group.
 
I found this to be an exciting Podcast to record.  I simply spoke that which the Spirit brought to my mind.
 
I know it will be very helpful to those who are born again, the elect of God.
 
I pray for God to give you understanding as you listen to this Podcast.
 
*****
 
Paul says antichrist must come into the churches before Jesus can return for the church.
 
II Thessalonians 2:3-4  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day (of the Lord) shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
 
4  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
 
* Before the second coming of Jesus, a "falling away" must occur.
 
In 1982, God said to me:  "The falling away are not individuals leaving the church group ... The falling away are church groups leaving the scriptures."
 
The scriptures are the restraints which hold antichrist back, keeping antichrist out of the church group.
 
As soon as a scripture is removed (no longer taught or explained away), lawlessness comes into that church group.
 
We recognize antichrist when we see a church which goes against scripture:  such as against the following scripture:
 
Matthew 5:32  Jesus says   But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
 
- The faithful wife, who has been divorced by her husband, will commit adultery if she remarries.
 
- The husband who divorced the faithful wife will be the cause of her adultery if she remarries.
 
- The man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
 
Churches fall away from these instructions of Jesus, for it would be unpopular to teach these scriptural truths. 
 
So the churches either explain away these instruction or keep silent and never mention such scriptures which might offend some people.
 
Therefore these churches become antichrist.  (against those scriptures which have been omitted or explained away and opposite to Christ, The Word.)
 
Thus antichrist sits in "the temple of God"  (the church), showing himself to be God as he rules over the scriptures, over the Word of God, which is Jesus.
 
Those people who love their church groups more than they love the scriptures and remain in antichrist churches, bring a dreadful fate upon themselves, Paul tells us as follows.
 
II Thessalonians 2:10-12
 
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
 
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
 
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
 
13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
***
 
The church people who have taken antichrist into their spirit cannot repent and will not repent for it is God who has sent them a strong delusion.
 
Revelation 9
 
20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues (of the great tribulation) yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
 
21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
 
Revelation 16
 
21  And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.
 
 💥💥💥💥💥
 
* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog

Part 1: We work the works of God when we believe the Word of God

(This podcast was previously published on January 22, 2021)
 
Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ... 
 
John 6:28-29  Then said they unto HIM, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on HIM whom HE hath sent.
 
Examples:
 
*  August 5, 1975
 
The following came into my mind.  It was God speaking to me by HIS Spirit:  "Joan.  You know those mistakes you've been making all these years?  Those weren't mistakes.  Those were sins."
 
SINS!  I had no idea they were sins.  But I knew this word I had heard was true!
 
(With that I was born again.)
 
***
 
* 1977
 
I was scheduled to testify at a court trial.  I heard:  "Don't testify."  I believed that was a word from God.
 
I told my lawyer I was not going to be able to testify.  He said he thought we would win the case anyway because Flo had also witnessed the event and she would testify.
 
Now the persecution is going to come "for the Word's sake", to try to drive me away from obeying that word which I believed to be from God.
 
When Flo learned I would not be testifying, she became very angry with me and said:  "Now all the burden will be on me since you won't testify.  I replied, "What can I do?  I believe God told me not to testify so I can't testify.
 
Then the man I was dating said, "Joan you aren't doing this woman any good by not testifying."  I replied, "I'm not trying to do her any good.  I believe God told me not to testify so I can't testify."
 
Then during the court trial, my lawyer came to me and said, "Flo's testimony wasn't as strong as I had hoped for.  But if you will testify we will win this case."  I replied, "I'll see."  I went into the ladies room at the courthouse and prayed asking God what HE wanted me to do and I heard, "Don't testify."
 
I returned to the court room and just shook my head indicating "no" to my lawyer.
 
The court case proceeded.  I did not testify.  We won the case.
 
More examples of believing you've heard from God and doing that word will be recorded on this Podcast.
 
***
 
*  1978
 
I owned a small business in American Indian Arts at the time I was born again.
 
During this time, an itinerant salesman of Indian arts filed a lawsuit against me.  I hired a lawyer to defend me. But the legal fees were eating up all the profit from my business, and God had shown me to get out of debt and to stay out of debt and I had done that.  Now I was faced with the prospect of having to go back into debt because of the bills from my own lawyer.
 
The Holy Spirit called the following scripture to my attention:
 
Isaiah 54:17   No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of ME, saith the LORD.
 
I looked at that scripture and began to reason:
 
I'm a Christian now so this promise of God applies to me.
 
This weapon of this lawsuit cannot prosper against me.  So why am I having a lawyer represent me in court.  I can stop the legal bills by dismissing my lawyer from the case and I can go to court without any human legal counsel.
 
I was a very new Christian at that time so I decided to make an appointment with my pastor and tell him my plans.
 
As I drove to meet my pastor, I was praying, asking God to give the pastor 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.
 
After I told the story to the pastor and revealed my plan to him, pastor said:  "Joan, I perceive you have faith to handle this situation this way."
 
I released my lawyer.
 
Lawyer said, "Joan, you don't know how evil these courts are today.  You can't do this."  
 
Then lawyer said, "We're willing to work with you.  It will only take about $10,000 more to try your case."
 
I was shocked and screamed, "$10,000  MORE ... Gordon,   STOP ... Don't do anything else!"
 
A week later, Gordon came to my business to speak with me.  He said:  "Joan, we have decided to try your case without any further legal fees."
 
But I didn't hear God mentioned in this plan!
 
So I told Gordon I would need to get back with him with this.
 
What is going on here?
 
One week it is going to cost $10,000 MORE to try the case.  The next week it is free to me.
 
I began praying, asking God what HE wanted me to do.
 
The Holy Spirit reminded me of a scripture to show me the will of God in this matter.
 
Genesis 14:21-23   And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.  And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:
 
I knew God was saying:  Turn down the free legal service and plan to go to court without any human legal counsel.
 
(After seeing what Abraham did in setting his life for his provision to be from God, I wanted my life to be where my provision was from God!)
 
I refused the free legal counsel.
 
During those weeks before the scheduled court case, God reminded me of many scriptures.  I wrote down each scripture and kept it before me day and night as I had learned to do from Joshua 1:8.
 
God said to Joshua:  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.  (Joshua 1:8)
 
I knew this same thing applied to us today.
 
Also I knew Psalm 1.
 
1 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.
 
God, by HIS Spirit, had reminded me of several scriptures during this period of time.  I recorded each of these scriptures over and over on a cassette tape on both sides of the tape.  When I would go to bed I would turn on the tape and hear these scriptures and fall asleep to the scriptures playing.  Then when I would awaken in the night, I would turn the cassette tape over and play the other side and fall asleep to scripture.
 
I did this all night each night to build my faith in what God had said to me and also to fight fear.
 
Six days before the trial was scheduled in US District Court, the man suing me dropped all charges.
 
It was over.
 
But God taught me a lot about having faith in HIM and in HIS Word and how HIS WORD given by the Holy Spirit will never fail.
 
***
 
During the next 40 years, God spoke to me many times by HIS Holy Spirit who brought information to my mind concerning the situations of this present life.
 
💥💥💥💥💥 
 
* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog

God says to Ezekiel: "Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against ME: ... But speak MY words to them."

(This podcast was previously published on January 13, 2021)
 
Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...
 
As the children of Israel were rebellious against the Word of God, the New Testament church today rebels against specific scriptures which conflicts with that which they have learned at their churches.
 
But God today sends HIS prophets to the church ministers and individuals, though they often harden their hearts today to that word of God that is carried to them and continue in their own preferences.
 
Ezekiel 2:3-8
 
And HE (God) said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against ME: they and their fathers have transgressed against ME, even unto this very day.
 
4 For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD.
 
5 And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.
 
6 And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.
 
7 And thou shalt speak MY words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious.
 
8 But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee.
 
*****
 
After Jesus ascends into heaven, HE sets up the New Testament church.
 
Ephesians 4
 
8 ... When HE ascended up on high, HE led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
 
11-12   And HE gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
 
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
 
***
 
God taught me the following concerning the work of apostle and prophet to which I am called and set in the New Testament church today.
 
* apostle:  God took me to Acts 15 to show me the basic work of an apostle.
 
A question concerning "doctrine" arose in the church.  "Do the Gentile believers have to be circumcised?"  The elders and apostles met at Jerusalem to discuss this matter and to make a ruling for the other churches to follow.
 
Peter spoke.  Paul spoke.  James heard what they said and then he pronounced the ruling concerning the Gentiles.
 
They wrote this ruling and sent it to the other churches in writing.  (There was no NT Bible in those days of the early church.)
 
Today we have the New Testament Bible which the early church did not have.
 
Basically what God showed me is this:  apostles are ordained by God in dealing with church doctrines.
 
Churches today fall away from New Testament Bible rulings and we try to turn individuals back to what the Bible says. 
 
***
 
* prophet:  In the New Testament Bible we have these examples of the work of a New Testament prophet.
 
Agabus: Acts 11:27-30   And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch.
 
28 And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.
 
29 Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea:
 
30 Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
 
***
 
Acts 21:7-11  And when we had finished our course from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, and saluted the brethren, and abode with them one day.  8 And the next day we that were of Paul's company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him. 9 And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.
 
10 And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus.  11 And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.
 
***
 
Other New Testament prophets cited in the New Testament Bible:
 
Acts 13:1   Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
 
Acts 15:31   And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them.
 
I Corinthians 12:28  And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
 
I Corinthians 14:29  (Paul says concerning the gathering of the New Testament Church)   Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.
 
***
 
Throughout the Bible, we see many examples of God using prophets to carry messages of correction and instruction to the church.  Prophets of God are not sent to the world but to the church.
 
Ezekiel 3:4-7 And HE (God) said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with MY words unto them.
 
5 For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, but to the house of Israel;
 
6 Not to many people of a strange speech and of an hard language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto thee.
 
7 But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto ME: for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted.
 
***
 
Matthew 23   Jesus says:
 
37  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
 
38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
 
39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see ME henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
 
***
 
Matthew 23:29-35   Jesus says:
 
29  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
 
30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
 
31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
 
32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
 
33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
 
34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
 
35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
 
💥💥💥💥💥 
 
* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog

Paul says: For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God (II Corinthians 2:17)

(This podcast was previously published on January 2, 2021)
 
Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...
 
Paul told the elders at Ephesus that he knew that "after his departing", many of the elders among themselves would arise "speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them." (Acts 20:30)
 
The apostle John told the church group there were already "many antichrist" who had come among their church group.
 
I John 2:18-19   Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.  They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
 
Some of them went out and started other church groups, and preached "another doctrine".
 
Hereby all these denominations began.  And many other denominations came later through the centuries, between the early church set up by Jesus from heaven at the time Jesus was taken into heaven, until now in the time where we live.
 
But we have only one doctrine and that is the doctrine of the New Testament Bible by the Holy Spirit of God.
 
And we have one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God.
 
But there are many church denominations and many diverse doctrines in these groups.
 
How do we know the truth?
 
We read the New Testament Bible and when we are of God, HE opens our eyes to see the truth and the doctrines of Christ.
 
II 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:  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
 
When we see a church teaching something opposite to the doctrine of Christ which we read the in Bible we leave that church group, knowing it is "antichrist" opposite to the doctrine of Christ, the Word.
 
*****
 
Shortly after I was born again in 1975, I attended a church group with my best friend and her husband.  The pastors were professors from Dallas Theological Seminary.
 
The pastor was teaching "tongues" were of the devil.
 
But one day I was reading I Corinthians 14 and saw the following scripture in the Bible:
 
I Corinthians 14:39   Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.
 
That church I had been attending was teaching something exactly opposite from that which Paul said in the New Testament Holy Bible.
 
I chose Bible and never went back again to that church group.
 
***
 
In looking for a church to attend, I went to a small non-denomination church group.
 
Pastor was teaching.
 
That night he took us to John 8 where the woman who was taken in adultery was brought before Jesus.  Pastor said when the woman was brought before Jesus she was naked from the waist up.
 
I was very shocked!  I'd never seen that before in John 8.  I grabbed my Bible and began reading John 8.  That which pastor said was not in John 8.  I looked about the room to see if others were reading Bible.  I didn't see anyone reading the Bible.  I saw men sitting with very big grins on their faces.  I knew they were picturing this naked woman.
 
The next day, I called the pastor.  I told him I had been in his service the night before when he spoke of John 8 and he said that woman taken in adultery was naked from waist up.  I told him I could not find that in the Bible.  I asked him where it was in Bible.
 
Pastor was very silent.
 
Then pastor said, "I can't remember where it is in the Bible."
 
I told pastor that it was very important to me to know where it was in the Bible and I asked him to please look it up and tell his secretary where it says that and have her call me and tell me.
 
Pastor became very silent.  And then pastor became very angry and shouted into phone:  "All right!  It's not in the Bible.  Where do you go to church?"
 
I was hunting a church to attend, but I couldn't go to a church where pastor taught things not in the Bible as he was doing.
 
2 Corinthians 2:17   For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
 
***
 
Then I went to another non-denominational church.
 
Pastor was teaching concerning Abraham and Sarah.
 
Pastor said:  "Sarah and Hagar were 1/2 sisters."
 
I'd never read that before (or even heard anyone say that before).
 
I went home and read my Bible.
 
I could find no scripture which stated that Sarah and Hagar were 1/2 sisters.
 
So I called and spoke to the pastor, asking him where that is in the Bible.
 
Pastor said:  "I can't recall where it is in the Bible."
 
I asked pastor to please look it up and tell his secretary and have her call me and tell me where it is in the Bible.
 
Amazingly this pastor said exactly the same thing as that previous pastor.
 
He became angry and shouted into phone:  "All right ... it's not in the Bible."
 
Neither pastor showed any shame at all for teaching things at church which were not in the Bible.
 
***
 
Approximately 15 years later, in 2017, God explained what was happening in churches when pastors taught things not in Bible, and they did not repent from doing this and were not ashamed of the way they mishandled the Word of God.
 
"These pastors are antichrist."
 
These pastors teach things not in Bible and their congregations accept things not in Bible, this is the falling away, anarchy which had to come into the churches before Jesus could return.
 
Then I understood.
 
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4   Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day (of the Lord) shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
 
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
 
God said to me:  "The falling away are not people leaving the church group.  The falling away are the church groups falling away from the scriptures."
 
And God said to me the word "restraint".
 
I knew this was in a scripture and I found it in the following:
 
2 Thessalonians 2, NASB
 
6 And you know what restrains him now, so that he will be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is removed. 8 Then that lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will eliminate with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;
 
I said to God, "What is the restraint?  Who restrains antichrist?"
 
Immediately God opened my eyes to see.
 
The restraint was Jesus, The Word of God, the Holy Scriptures.
 
As soon as the scriptures were removed at the church group, antichrist came into that church group speaking doctrines that are opposite to the New Testament Bible and adding to the Bible.
 
Now I understood why those pastors who had perverted the Bible did not feel shame nor repent.  They were antichrist.
 
Since this time, I have encountered many antichrist in those many men who write emails to me from all over the world and say they are pastors.  I have seen many antichrists who attend churches.
 
Antichrist is not one man as many churches have taught in the past.
 
Antichrist is a spirit in many men and women in religious groups.
 
Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.  (2 Thessalonians 2:4)
 
💥💥💥💥💥 
 
* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog

"What do we call you? Reverend?" a woman said to me

(This podcast was previously published on January 1, 2021)
 
Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...
 
In the setting up of the New Testament church, Jesus, from heaven, gave to the church the following:
 
Ephesians 4:11-12
 
And HE (Jesus) gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
 
No man in the Bible called himself "Reverend" ... No person called another man "Reverend."
 
Psalm 111 ...  Holy and reverend is HIS name.  (God's name)
 
You may think it doesn't matter.
 
But to call that minister "Reverend" not only violates the Holy Bible, but it causes idolatry in the church as that man is put in a place whereby the congregation worships him.
 
In 1980, God put me on radio to exhort the church.  A woman came to me telling me she was one of my listeners.  And she said to me,  "What do we call you?  Reverend?"
 
I was very shocked!
 
I replied, "No, call me Joan ... like you would call Paul, Paul."
 
I did not have to think before telling her this because in me is the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit, and I knew we were not to be called "Reverend."
 
I would never permit this. 
 
And neither should they.
 
It's not just my opinion.  It is just not done in the Bible and that is what we go by when we serve God.
 
💥💥💥💥💥
 
* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog

Extortion in religious circles

(This podcast was previously published on December 3, 2020)
 
Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ... 
 
Often ministers will say things like this to their congregations:  "Please pray that God will help me to get a new car so I can do ministry work."
 
When he prayed like that, he is often hoping that someone in the congregation will give him the car or that the congregation will give him a car, otherwise he would pray to God in secret rather than praying openly before his congregation.
 
In such cases, he is praying to man, hoping man will give to him.
 
Concerning prayer, Jesus says:
 
Matthew 6:5-8  Jesus says: And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
 
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
 
7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
 
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask HIM.
 
Recently a man who calls himself a pastor, contacted me by e-mail asking me to send him a computer and a projector.  I told this man to get a part time job and earn the money for these objects.  He replied it took all of time to "minister" and he couldn't get a job.  I remembered how the apostle Paul worked as a tent maker and ministered the gospel in his spare time.  God showed me this man was a beggar, a thief, and an extortioner.
 
This man said he needed the projector to be able to teach the things I teach.  I told him, "Just teach the Bible then."
 
I know this man tried to con me with flattery, telling me things he thought I wanted to hear.  But he got so twisted in trying to do this that he made his deception obvious to me.
 
Also I have seen individuals in the congregation use prayer as a way to communicate their own needs to other people, hoping to get from others in the church.
 
It is a great sin to use prayer this way.
 
Often prayer is prayer to other men rather than prayer to God.  And often their prayer is really "extortion" for it makes the other person feel bad if they don't give when they are able to give.
 
Extortion:  The practice of obtaining something, especially money, through force or threats or coercion.
 
Often they use scripture to try to get money from their congregation, implying that if the people do not give then they will not be blessed by God.
 
The apostle Paul said if a "brother" in Christ is an "extortioner", don't keep company with him. (I Corinthians 5:11;13)
 
Ministers often use extortion to get their congregations and others to give to them.
 
💥💥💥💥💥
 
* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog

How God got me out of Debt!

(This podcast was previously published on January 25, 2021)
 
Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...
 
It is a hard bondage to be in debt.
 
The first thing I remember God telling me after I was born again in 1975 is this:  "Get out of debt and stay out of debt."
 
Then the Holy Spirit of God guided me step by step and I followed HIM and ended up out of debt.
 
I have stayed free from debt since approximately 1976.
 
When Coronavirus struck the world, I'm sure those of us who were free from debt had less suffering than those who had debts.
 
God says:
 
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.
 
God promises that it will be shown to us if we want to know how to get out of debt if we will ask God!
 
And we read:
 
Romans 13:8    Owe no man any thing, but to love one another:
 
***
Deuteronomy 28
 
12 The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.
 
13 And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:
 
***
 
Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
 
 💥💥💥💥💥
 
* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog

You shall receive power after the Holy Spirit comes to you

(This podcast was previously published on January 21, 2021)
 
Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...
 
The Holy Spirit of God, given to the children of God today, searches the heart of God to reveal to us the will of God in the specific areas of our life, so we can know what God wants us to do in situations of this present life.  (I Corinthians 2:9-14)
 
Jesus describes the Holy Spirit as being the Spirit of Truth and The Comforter.
 
John 14:26  Jesus says ...  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  Jesus says ...  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.
 
The Holy Spirit lives in the believer.(I Corinthians 3:16; I Corinthians 6:19; II Corinthians 13:5)
 
The Holy Spirit never makes us do anything, such as roll on the floor as the "Holy Roller" churches did in the early 1900's.  This was another spirit, not the Spirit of God. 
 
The Holy Spirit brings ideas and scriptures to our mind to show us truth in the situation and also to show us the will of God as we deal with issues of this life.
 
The Holy Spirit is a great benefit to us and a great gift to us from God.
 
But some in the churches today do not understand these things about the Holy Spirit so they miss many of the blessings of God available to us, the believer in Christ, The Word.
 
And some believers pray but then fail to understand how they can know which idea that comes to them after prayer is from God.
 
James 3:17 tells us how to recognize that idea which is sent from God.
 
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
 
The power of God is given to us through the Holy Spirit of God who dwells in us today.
 
*****
 
Jesus said:
 
John 5:30  Jesus says ...  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.
 
Jesus always heard from God the Father so HE knew that which God wanted HIM to do as HE walked on this earth.
 
***
 
The Holy Spirit lives in each person who believes in Jesus.
 
I Corinthians 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
***
 
The Holy Spirit of God searches the heart of God to show us the will of God by bringing ideas and scriptures to our mind.
 
I Corinthians 2:9-13
 
9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love HIM.
 
10 But God hath revealed them unto us by HIS Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
 
11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
 
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
 
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
 
***
 
A human cannot understand the things of God by his own natural mind.
 
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.
 
***
 
The Holy Spirit does 4 things for the believer:  He teaches us all things; He reminds us of scripture and godly concepts; He guides us into all truth; He shows us things to come.
 
John 14:26  Jesus says ...  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  Jesus says ...   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.
 
***
 
We can recognize the ideas that are from God by the following:
 
James 3:17  But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
 
💥💥💥💥💥
 
* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog

Who are the "saints" of God according to the Bible?

(This podcast was previously published on November 13, 2020)
 
Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...
 
In the Holy Bible, all the church, the elect of God, those who are born again, are called "the saints."
 
A few of the many scriptures in Bible showing this are as follows:
 
Romans 1:7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
 
Romans 8:27 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.
 
Romans 15:25  But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints (the church).
 
I Corinthians 14:33  For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
 
II Corinthians 9:12 For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;
 
Hebrews 6:10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward HIS name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
 
Jude v. 3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints (the church).
 
The "saints" are the entire church of Jesus Christ.
 
💥💥💥💥💥 
 
* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog

When an angel speaks a message other than God's

(This podcast was previously published on February 25, 2021)
 
Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...
 
The apostle Paul said:
 
Galatians 1:8   But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
 
There is only one gospel, and that is the Word that is from God, the Holy Scriptures.
 
Angels carry messages from God.
 
What if a message comes to you which is opposite from the Bible?
 
Many years ago, a woman told me that when she met her 2nd husband, she heard this, "He's going to be your husband."
 
She, a divorced woman, did marry this man.
 
I wondered about that for several years.  How could this message have been from God when it went against that which we see in the Bible.
 
If a divorced woman remarries, according to Bible, she commits adultery.
 
Romans 7:1-3 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?
 
2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.
 
3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.
 
Recently the scripture in Galatian 1, spoken by the apostle Paul, was called to my mind and I recalled this story where my divorced friend had heard Hal was going to be her husband.
 
And I realized this could have been an evil angel speaking to her a "gospel" which was opposite to the Bible.
 
There are evil angels.  (Psalm 78:49)
 
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth, so the Holy Spirit will always be compatible with scripture when HE speaks a word to us by bringing a concept to our mind.
 
But an angel might bring a message to us also, and that message is usually from God, but if it conflicts with scripture we must not go that way.  It could be an "evil angel" speaking.
 
Galatians 1:8  But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
 
*****
 
Looking back on this story of my friend and what happened to her, there were signs for her not to marry the first husband.  And then after divorce, she practiced deception and hypocrisy at the next church which she attended and this could have opened the door for the evil angel to bring her a message.
 
She was raised Baptist.  She wanted to marry a Catholic man.  She went to Catholic school to convert to being Catholic so she could marry this Catholic boy. Catholic doctrine has many teachings opposite to Bible.  Her stepfather, a Baptist, refused to allow her to come back into his house if she married this man and became Catholic.  They married. Then her husband left her.  They divorced.  
 
She left Catholic church and went to a non-denominational church.
 
Later when she wanted to remarry, she didn't tell anyone at that church that she was a divorced woman.  (deception & hypocrisy)
 
(When Donna practiced deception by not allowing anyone at that church to know she was divorced, this might have opened the door for the deception to come by what appears to have been an "evil angel" telling her Hal was going to be her husband.)
 
Hal's wife died of cancer.  He wanted to remarry.  He began to consider the single women at the church he attended.  He selected 2 women to date, looking for a wife.  One of these women was Donna but he did not know she had been divorced.
 
Hal fell in love with Donna.  Then she told him she had been married and divorced.
 
Jesus says ... whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
 
They married.
 
(This happened before I met them.)
 
Later I asked Hal if he had known Donna was divorced would he had dated her.  He thought for a minute and then he said, "I don't think so."
 
Hal committed adultery when he married the divorced woman.  (Matthew 5:32)
 
Donna as a divorced woman committed adultery when she married Hal.  (I Corinthians 7:39; Romans 7:1-3)
 
***
 
One of the things we will do in heaven is to judge angels, whether they are good or bad.
 
A good angel carries messages from God and does the work of God.An evil angel speaks opposite from the Bible.
 
Psalm 78:49  He (God) cast upon them the fierceness of HIS anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.
 
I Corinthians 1:3   Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
 
II Peter 2:4   For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
 
And Paul warns the church:
 
Galatians 1
 
6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from HIM that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
 
7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
 
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
 
9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
 
***
 
Beware:  A message could be carried to our minds which seems to be from God but actually is from an evil angel and is opposite from scripture.
 
Line up all messages with Bible.  If that message is opposite from Bible, we should judge that is not a real message from God but is from a destructive source.
 
For there will be much deception in the end times.
 
***
 
One time, a woman wanted to come talk to me about her mother's 2nd marriage.
 
God said to me:  "Just focus on that which the scriptures say.  You don't need to focus on the circumstances of the divorce/remarriage."
 
***
 
What the Bible says concerning a divorced woman remarrying:
 
Matthew 5:32  Jesus says:  But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
 
- If a man divorces a faithful wife, and that faithful wife remarries after divorce, she will commit adultery, but her husband who divorced her will be the cause of her adultery.
 
- And the man who marries her that is divorced commits adultery.
 
***
 
I Corinthians 7:10-11 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:  But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.
 
***
 
I Corinthians 7:39 The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.
 
***
 
Mark 10
 
2 And the Pharisees came to Him (to Jesus), 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.
 
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.
 
***
 
At the time of sexual intercourse, you become one flesh with that other person.
 
I Corinthians 6
 
15  Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.
 
16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith HE, shall be one flesh.
 
17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
 
18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
 
***
 
James 1
 
13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
 
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
 
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
 
***
 
So if any speak opposite to scripture, let him be accursed, even if it is an angel from heaven or a pastor or a member of the congregation.
 
Cling to the scripture to free yourself from sin.
 
💥💥💥💥💥 
 
* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog

Following The Lord. Following Jesus. Following "THE WORD".

(This podcast was previously published on January 19, 2021)
 
Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...
 
Each time I see a scripture which speaks of following "The Lord" or "Jesus", my mind automatically translates that into "THE WORD", following the instruction given by THE WORD.
 
When we do that, it makes the Bible so clear!
 
For example:
 
John 14:6  Jesus saith unto him,
 
I (The WORD) am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by ME (The WORD).
 
So this verse is saying two things to me:
 
* "THE WORD is the way to go."   So I ask myself, "What has God said about this?"
 
And I think on the most recent word brought to my mind by God concerning the subject at hand. I think on the scriptures, THE WORD.
 
And I follow that word, making my plans accordingly.
 
* "No man comes to the Father except by THE WORD."
 
A man cannot go to THE FATHER by Buddha or by Mohammed. Only by THE WORD (Jesus) can a man go to God.  So they cannot deceive me when they worship by another god.
 
And people who come to me saying they are Christians cannot deceive me, for unless they are living THE WORD, those persons cannot be of God, for THE WORD is the way to God, The Father.
 
Matthew 24:4-5   Jesus says:   Take heed that no man deceive you.   For many shall come in MY name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
 
They come saying they are Christians and because they say Jesus is Lord, they deceive many, for they have not the Spirit but are religious by their own thinking.
 
Scripture becomes clear when you think of "The Lord" as "The Word."
 
Psalm 23
 
The LORD (The Word) is my shepherd; I shall not want.
 
(As I follow "The Word", I shall not want.  If I follow other men, I might come into want even when I read the Bible.  But as I hear The Word who is my Lord and do The Word, I shall not want.)
 
2 HE (The Word) maketh me to lie down in green pastures: HE (The Word) leadeth me beside the still waters.
 
So if it is hard or turbulent, I'm likely not following the plan of God, The Word.
 
There is plenty of food, both spiritual food and physical food when I am in the place God would lead me, "green pastures".
 
3 HE (The Word) restoreth my soul: HE (The Word) leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for HIS name's sake.
 
*****
 
John 6   Jesus says:
 
33  For the bread of God is HE (The Word) which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
 
35  ...  I (The Word) am the bread of life: he that cometh to ME (The Word) shall never hunger; and he that believeth on ME (The Word) shall never thirst.
 
44  No man can come to ME, except the Father which hath sent ME draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
 
48  I am that bread of life.
 
(The Word is that bread of life.)
 
50  This (The Word) is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
 
51  I (The Word) am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
 
(We eat the flesh of Jesus and drink HIS blood each time we conform our lives to the Word of God as we walk on this earth.)
 
53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you.
 
54 Whoso eateth MY flesh, and drinketh MY blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
 
55 For MY flesh is meat indeed, and MY blood is drink indeed.
 
56 He that eateth MY flesh, and drinketh MY blood, dwelleth in ME, and I in him.
 
57 As the living Father hath sent ME, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth ME (The Word), even he shall live by ME.
 
***
 
(The Word raises us up at the last day, for the Lord, The Word, comes with a shout, and the dead in Christ are awakened and rise to meet Jesus in the air.)
 
I Thessalonians 4
 
13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep (dead), that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
 
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with HIM.
 
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (precede) them which are asleep.
 
16 For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
 
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
 
***
 
John 1
 
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
 
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
 
3 All things were made by HIM; and without HIM was not any thing made that was made.
 
4 In HIM was life; and the life was the light of men.
 
5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
 
10 HE was in the world, and the world was made by HIM, and the world knew HIM not.
 
11 HE came unto HIS own, and HIS own received HIM not.
 
12 But as many as received HIM, to them gave HE power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on HIS name:
 
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
 
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld HIS glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
 
💥💥💥💥💥 
 
* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog

HE hath made us accepted in the beloved. (Ephesians 1:6)

(This podcast was previously published on January 15, 2021)
 
Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...
 
Remember when you were born again?
 
All of a sudden, God by HIS Spirit opened our eyes to see our sin and we believed and were saved by faith in HIM.
 
We didn't do works to earn salvation.  It was a gift to us.
 
After that, we read the Bible and believed the Word and were changed into the image of Jesus, The Word, as we believed.
 
II Corinthians 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.
 
Being born again is all about change.  The old man is passed away.  All things become new.  We are different now!  And the remainder of our life on this earth we are conformed to the image of Christ the Word as we encounter issues of this life and settle those issues by learning what God wants us to do about each thing that comes to us.
 
The apostle Paul says:
 
Galatians 1:10  For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
 
Now we, too, are servants of God as is the apostle Paul.  And we seek to please God in our decisions by prayer, asking God what HE wants us to do, and by following that brought to our minds by God's Spirit, The Holy Spirit.
 
Our life becomes hidden to this world but we become alive to God and our lives are hidden in Christ as we follow the Word of God, conforming ourselves to HIS Word.
 
And we know this is all that matters.
 
💥💥💥💥💥
 
* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog

Ministers of Satan spoken of by Jesus, Paul, Peter, and Jude in the Bible

(This podcast was previously published on January 7, 2021)
 
Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...
 
Jesus warned us about the last days when false ministers and false Christians would come in HIS name deceiving many:
 
Matthew 24 
 
3 And as HE sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
 
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
 
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
 
(Ministers and individuals in churches will come saying "Jesus is Lord" and because they say that, many will accept them and they will deceive "many".)
 
Paul calls them "angels of light":
 
II Corinthians 11
 
2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
 
3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
 
4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
 
12 But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.
 
13  For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
 
14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
 
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
 
The apostle Peter says:
 
2 Peter 2
 
1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
 
2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
 
3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
 
12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;
 
13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;
 
14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
 
15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
 
16 But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.
 
17 These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.
 
18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
 
19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
 
20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
 
21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
 
22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
 
*****
 
Jude
 
3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
 
4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
 
(They deny Jesus as they explain away "The Word" who is Jesus.)
 
12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
 
(A cloud without water gives you a promise of rain but produces dryness, stealing your hope.)
 
13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
 
16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.
 
17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
 
18 How that they told you there should be mockers (imitators/copying others) in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
 
19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
 
***
 
Jesus says concerning the scribes and Pharisees:
 
Matthew 23
 
4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
 
(They ask you to give to them but they will give no money themselves to pay for their works.  They put a burden on you for their works.)
 
5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
 
(They love to make their garments great to show themselves to be of God.)
 
6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
 
7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
 
8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
 
9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
 
10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
 
(Today they call themselves "Reverend" causing men to give them respect.)
 
11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
 
12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
 
13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
 
14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
 
15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
 
***
 
Paul warns us that it will be even worse in the last days:
 
II Timothy 3
 
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
 
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
 
(They explain away the scriptures and will not allow certain scriptures to rule over their own lives.)
 
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
 
***
 
Jesus says:
 
Matthew 24
 
12  And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
 
13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
 
***
 
II Timothy 3
 
14  But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
 
(That we have learned spiritual things from God.)
 
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
 
16 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.
 
***
 
The apostle Paul says:
 
II Corinthians 2:17  For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
 
We see by this that many were deceitful in their presentations of the Word of God in the days of the apostle Paul.
 
And Paul said it would get worse in the last times before Jesus returns.
 
II Timothy 3:13   But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
 
And Jesus said:
 
Matthew 24:4-5   Take heed that no man deceive you.  For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
 
We have been amply warned in the Bible to beware of both ministers and individuals who come to us saying "Jesus is Lord" for there will be many deceivers in the last days.  They usually show themselves rather quickly by that which they say and by that which they do.  Pay attention.
💥💥💥💥💥
 
* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog

Many love the outward appearance of religion, but they do not have a love for the Word of God

(This podcast was previously published on January 14, 2021)
 
Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...
 
This is the first time I recall having the Spirit of God "dictate" to me the title of a writing or Podcast.  Yet this was spoken in exact words to me as I wrote down the title.  Then I received the message by the Spirit of God.
 
It is amazing, but so many hundreds of thousands of people love their church buildings and they love the stained glass windows in their buildings and they love the art works and carved alters where their ministers preach ... but they do not have a love for the actual Word of God.
 
We, who are of God, delight in the Word of God.
 
The apostle Paul told us:
 
II Timothy 3
 
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
 
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
 
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
 
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
 
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
 
***
 
The only thing that matters in our religion is this:
 
Do we delight in the Word of God?
 
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* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog

In their hearts, people "boasted" over that which they would do "next year". Then Coronavirus came!

(This podcast was previously published on January 9, 2021)
 
Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...
 
James 3
 
13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
 
14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
 
15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
 
16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.
 
And what is that which is coming?
 
* The great tribulation of God:  The 14 plagues  (Rev. 8, 9, 16)
 
* God shakes the power of heaven before Jesus comes through the clouds:  (Mt. 24:29)
 
* Then comes Jesus and gathers HIS elect, removing them from this earth. (Mt 24:30-31)
 
* Last, God destroys this present heaven and earth. (II Peter 3:10-14)
 
By thinking on these assured things, boasts concerning what we will do in the future might change considerably.
 
Also those things we thought to be so important might diminish greatly as we think on that which is coming according to the Bible.
 
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* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog