Building your house on the word from God

God anoints a king to replace Saul. God removes HIS Holy Spirit from Saul and gives that Holy Spirit to the new king.

Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ... 
I Samuel 16
 
1 And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.
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2 And Samuel said (to God), How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. 
 
And the LORD said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the LORD.3 And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto ME him whom I name unto thee.
 
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4 And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Bethlehem. 
And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?
 
(They were afraid of the prophets of God.)
 
5 And he (Samuel) said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. 
And he (Samuel) sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.
 
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6 And it came to pass, when they were come, that he (Samuel) looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD'S anointed is before him.7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And HE (God) said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this.9 Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And HE (God) said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this.10 Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these.11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? 
And he (Jesse) said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. 
 
And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.
 
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12 And he sent, and brought him in. 
Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to.
 
And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.
 
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 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward.
Having the Spirit of God is critical for by that Spirit we know the will of God so we know what to do in the issues of this life.
 
So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
 
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14 But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.15 And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.16 Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.17And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me.18 Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him.19 Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep.
God has already anointed David as king of Israel by the hand of the prophet Samuel.  David becomes king then and Saul loses the kingdom though Saul will continue to appear to rule.20 And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul.
 
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21 And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he (David) loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer.22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight.23 And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.
 
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* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog 

Saul‘s disobedience to God. God removes Saul from being king over Israel.

Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ... 
The children of Israel wanted a king to rule over them as the other nations had.  God gave them a king who was Saul.  God even sent Samuel to anoint Saul as king.
 
Saul was given the Word of God and the Holy Spirit of God (I Sam. 10:10), but Saul did not fully obey God, and Saul did not do what God said to do and did not obey God and became very twisted by devils in his thinking.  
 
For devils twist the Word of God and try to justify disobedience to God.
 
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Saul does foolishly, says the prophet Samuel.
 
Saul did not keep the commandment of the Lord.  He only did part of that which God told him to do.  Because of this, God removed the kingdom from Saul.
 
I Samuel 13
 
13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which HE commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over HIS people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.
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King Saul disobeys God again and the end comes for Saul.
 
I Samuel 15
 
1 Samuel also said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over HIS people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD.2 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, 
I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.
 
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4 And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.5 And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.6 And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for ye shewed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.7 And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt.8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.
 
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10 Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying,11 It repenteth ME that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following ME, and hath not performed MY commandments. 
And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.
 
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12 And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.13 And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.   (Reread verse 3: What God said to do.) 14 And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
(God told Saul to kill all ... Saul did not obey what God said to do.  And Saul, the king, blames the people.)15 And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.
(Saul is basically telling the prophet Samuel that they had a better plan than God for they were going to use the good animals to sacrifice them to God.)16 Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the LORD hath said to me this night. And he (Saul) said unto him, Say on.
 
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17 And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?18 And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.19 Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD?
(Saul is twisted and deceived and thinks he can deceive the prophet of God, Samuel.)20  And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
(See v. 3 concerning what God told Saul to do.)21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. 
Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, HE hath also rejected thee from being king.
 
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(Now Saul changes his story.)
24 And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.25 Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD.26 And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.27 And as Samuel turned about to go away, he (Samuel) laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle (of Saul's mantle), and it rent.28 And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou.29 And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for HE is not a man, that HE should repent.
 
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30 Then he (Saul) said, I have sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD thy God.31 So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped the LORD.
 
But for the rest of his life, Saul will fight against David who will replace Saul as king over Israel.
 
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32 Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites.  And Agag came unto him delicately. 
And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.33 And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. 
And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.
 
(The prophet Samuel did what God told Saul to do and Saul would not obey God and the consequences of Saul's disobedience are an example for us all today in the New Testament church.  I Cor. 10)
 
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34 Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.35 And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the LORD repented that HE had made Saul king over Israel.
 
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* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog 

Holding our confidence steadfast until the end

Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ... 
Hebrews 3
13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
 
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This past year, I have found I had to make myself think on the time God spoke to me in 1975 and cause me to be born again!  That was simply the work of God.  God revealed truth to me:  "Joan ... you know those mistakes you've been making all these years?  Those weren't mistakes.  Those were sins."
 
Sometimes I just sit and say to God:  "Thank YOU for my salvation."
 
The amazing thing is, there haven't been any "big" battles this past year.
 
This I find I am doing in the midst of "peace".
 
And it is not over yet because I am still alive on this earth.
 
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In 2020, a woman told me a young man had left their church group and her teenaged daughter was going to try to bring him back.
 
I said to her:  "She won't bring him back but he will draw her away."
 
The mother said to me:  "You have no idea how strong my daughter's faith is."
 
But I know what the Bible says about the end time and how dangerous it is now and even how it will be more dangerous later as we draw nearer to the return of Jesus.
 
Matthew 24:21-22  Jesus says:  For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.   And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
 
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In 2019, God gave me an open vision showing me one of our church group standing in my room.  Then she turned her back and walked through the wall disappearing.
 
About 2 weeks after this vision, this same woman came to my hospital room where I was recovering from hip surgery.  
 
She sat down in the chair beside my hospital bed and she said:  "I don't care about anything or anyone anymore.  I don't read the Bible.  I don't read the blog."
 
I replied:  "But if you go this way, what is going to happen to you?"
 
She said:  "I don't want to talk to you about this."
 
She got up and went into the bathroom that was in my hospital room and she shut the door.
 
At that moment a nurse came in to do something to me and I called out to this woman and said, "Don't go until nurse leaves."
 
But while nurse was working on me I saw the bathroom door open and this woman from our church group "sneaked" out of the room.
 
She had been in our church group for 39 years when this happened.
 
But I was not surprised because God had given me that vision showing me this is exactly what she would do, "Turn her back on me and disappear."
 
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God delivered the children of Israel from Egypt.
 
They delighted greatly in the great miracles and wonders of God which they saw in Egypt and in the end of Pharaoh in the Red Sea.  (Ex. 15)
 
Shortly after this celebration, they began murmuring against God and against Moses and Aaron.
 
And they said:  Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.  (Ex. 16:3)
 
As a new Christian in 1975, I read this scripture and thought:  "How could they have done this?  Seeing all the works God did in Egypt.  How could they have turn away from God?"
 
I'm sure I also thought that I would never have done that.
 
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The Bible warns us for a reason.
 
Jesus says concerning the end times:
 
Matthew 24:12-13   And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
 
Iniquity abounds around us today.  Don't we see the rise in homosexuals and lesbians?  Don't we hear their demands on TV and see news headlines where they have paraded in the streets carrying their flags.
 
The pastor of Baptist church in Georgia made an open declaration welcoming and approving all homosexuals and lesbians.  The Southern Baptist Convention voted that church out of their group.  Then they explain that what that pastor did was "against their Baptist tradition" ... but not once did the Baptist convention read the following scripture from the Holy Bible.
 
Romans 1:26-28   For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
 
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I Peter 5
 
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto HIS eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
In the past 3 years, I've seen long time members of our little church group, follow voices of devil and turn from God, and in one case a woman in our group even turned an attack against me.
 
Devils will try to stir us up and even destroy us by giving us thoughts which are evil if we will follow such thoughts.  It really takes constant attention, for the devil will eat up those persons who go along with them.
 
Examples presented on this Podcast of how we cannot go along with evil thoughts.  
 
For we must endure to the end of our life on this earth, standing fast in that which God brings to us, and keeping our faith continually in that word of God and in that which God has done in our lives.
 
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* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog 

The gods of the people of this present world

Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ... 
We follow the God who created this heaven and earth.  The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, The Word.
 
Our God cares for us and provides for all our needs as long as HE leaves us on this earth.  
 
Our God will send Jesus to take us off this earth at the end of time.
 
Matthew 24
 
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.31 And HE shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together HIS elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
He takes us to the new heaven and the new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness, the new Jerusalem.
We are given new spiritual bodies.
 
There is no more pain, nor sorrow, nor death.
 
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We hear this world speak of their gods.  We hear what they say to us when they speak.  They speak of money and how they have been wise and saved money on various things.  We hear them speak of gambling where a person can get money,
 
All the time I hear them speak of this god, I think of how our God who created heaven and earth and all things will provide all our needs.
 
I think of those things I have read about the end times in the book of Revelation in the Holy Bible.  They will end up casting their silver and gold into the streets for such will be worthless to them at that time.
 
Ezekiel 7:19  They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.
 
I think of how Abraham turned down the free gift offered by the king of Sodom.
 
Genesis 14
 
21 And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.22 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,23 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 think of the times I have told God I want my provision to be from HIM like Abraham.  I don't want to win a lottery of man.  I don't want my needs to be provided any way other than by God.
 
God will provide all my needs as long as HE chooses to leave me on this earth.
 
Isaiah 26:2-3   THOU wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on THEE: because he trusteth in THEE.4 Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:
 
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* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog 

The people demand a king to rule over them like the other nations have

Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ... 
For many decades, God used HIS appointed judges to rule over the children of Israel.  But the people saw the other nations having a king over them and they wanted a king like those nations around them had.  They did not want judges of God ruling over them any longer.  So they asked God to give them a king like the other nations had.
 
God had often used HIS prophets to rule.  
 
I Samuel 8
 
1 And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba.3 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.7 And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected ME, that I should not reign over them.8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken ME, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.9 Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.10 And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king.11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.13 And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.16 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.17 He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;20 That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD.22 And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city.
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* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog 

The prophet Samuel

Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ... 
Hannah, the mother of Samuel was barren, having been given no children.
 
I Samuel 1   
 
10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if THOU wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
 
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I Samuel
 
19 And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the LORD (in Shiloh), and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her.20 Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the LORD.21 And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the LORD (at Shiloh) the yearly sacrifice, and his vow.22 But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD, and there abide for ever.23 And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only the LORD establish HIS word. So the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him.24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the LORD in Shiloh: and the child was young.25 And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli.
(Samuel, the child, was left with Eli to serve the Lord.)
 
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I Samuel 2
 
11 And Elkanah (and Hannah) went to Ramah to his house. And the child (Samuel) did minister unto the LORD before Eli the priest.
 
19 Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.20 And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The LORD give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the LORD. 
And they went unto their own home.21 And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD.
 
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I Samuel 2
 
22 Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.23 And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people.24 Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the LORD'S people to transgress.25 If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall intreat for him? 
Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them.26 And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also with men.
 
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27 And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house?28 And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be MY priest, to offer upon MINE altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before ME? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel?29 Wherefore kick ye at MY sacrifice and at MINE offering, which I have commanded in MY habitation; and honourest thy sons above ME, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel MY people?
(For Eli's sons took of the meat before it was offered by fire because they desired to eat the fat of the meat.) 30 Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before ME for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from ME; for them that honour ME I will honour, and they that despise ME shall be lightly esteemed.31 Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house.32 And thou shalt see an enemy in MY habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever.33 And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from MINE altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age.34 And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them.35 And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in MINE heart and in MY mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before MINE anointed for ever.
 
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I Samuel 4
 
1 And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;4 That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.6 And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.
8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. 
And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child.9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if HE call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. 
So Samuel went and lay down in his place.10 And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. 
Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.11 And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.12 In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end.13 For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.
(Now Samuel knows God for God has revealed HIMSELF to Samuel.  This is what it is like when we are born again.  God, by HIS Spirit, reveals HIMSELF to us.)15 And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision.16 Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I.17 And he said, What is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that HE said unto thee.18 And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him.
And he (Eli) said, It is the LORD: let HIM do what seemeth HIM good.19 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.20 And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD.
 
I Samuel 7
 
13 So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the coast of Israel: and the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
 
15-17  And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.  And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel in all those places.  And his return was to Ramah; for there was his house; and there he judged Israel; and there he built an altar unto the LORD.
 
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* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog 

Jesus says: ”No man cometh unto the Father but by me (The Word)” John 14:6

Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ... 
Encourage yourself at all times by "The Word", which is brought to your attention by God by HIS Spirit who reminds you of the word which is spoken by God!
 
Jesus says:
 
John 14:6    I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by ME.
 
Jesus, "The Word", is the way.
 
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Psalm 40   
 
1 I waited patiently for the LORD; and HE inclined unto me, and heard my cry.2 HE brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.3 And HE hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.4 Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
 
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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.
God by "The Word" created heaven and earth and all things.
 
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.
When God brings "The Word" to us and God opens our eyes to believe The Word, God causes us to be born again by The Word and God gives us the Holy Spirit of God to live in us.
 
Recently I was thanking God for bringing The Word to me on August 5, 1975, and thanking God for causing me to be born again by HIS Spirit and thanking God for giving me HIS Holy Spirit to live in me.
 
We should think on that Word and how God caused us to come to HIM by faith in that Word.
 
We thank God that HE chose us, revealing HIMSELF to us by the Word HE gave us and creating us in the image of HIMSELF by giving us The Word and by giving us understanding and by opening our eyes to see things of God.
 
Salvation is of God.
 
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* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog 

In the New Testament Bible, examples of prophets given by Jesus for the work of today‘s ministry in the NT church

Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ... 
After the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, HE gave to the New Testament church the ministries of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher.
 
From heaven Jesus called and ordained HIS ministers for the NT church and this continues to this present day in the NT church and it will continue to be such until Jesus returns to gather the church at the end of this world.
 
Ephesians 4
 
11 And HE (Jesus) 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:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
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Examples of prophets working in the church in the New Testament shown in the Bible.
 
Acts 11
 
27 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.
 
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Acts 15:32   And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them.
 
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Acts 15:40   And Paul chose Silas (a prophet), and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God.
 
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Acts 18:5  And when Silas (a prophet) and Timotheus (an evangelist) were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.
 
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Acts 15:22  Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas (a prophet) surnamed Barsabas, and Silas (a prophet), chief men among the brethren:
 
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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.
 
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Acts 21
 
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.
 
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We see these examples of New Testament prophets as shown in the New Testament Bible as they do work in the New Testament church.
 
Prophets work in the church today and are appointed as ministers of Jesus from heaven.
 
When we consider the scriptures on the subject, if we see what the New Testament Bible shows us then we know that which is true for today for the church group.
 
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* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog 

Gideon‘s first assignment from God: Destroying the altars where the people worshipped false gods

Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ... 
Judges 6
 
25 And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him (to Gideon), Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it:26  And build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down.27 Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father's household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.28 And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built.29 And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they enquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing.30 Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it.31 And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar.
(If Baal is a god, let him plead for himself.)32 Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him (against Gideon), because he hath thrown down his altar.33 Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered together, and went over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel.34 But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him.
(The blowing of a trumpet signals the people to action or causes the people to pay attention.)
 
35 And he (Gideon) sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; who also was gathered after him: and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.
 
36 And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said,37 Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.38 And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.39 And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.40 And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.
 
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Jesus says:
 
Acts 1:8   But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto ME both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
 
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Judges 8
 
22 Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.23 And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you.
 
Truly it was God who delivered them from the hand of Midian.  God used Gideon to lead the deliverance as God used Moses earlier.  But the help is from God.
 
Our help is from God though God might use another human as an instrument to bring about that which we need.  But we must not worship the human who helps us, but rather we worship God who raised up that human to help us!
 
We worship the creator rather than worshipping the created.
 
We don't worship the sun or the moon or the stars or the mountains.
 
We worship God who created all these things for us to enjoy.  And we are thankful to God when HE helps us.  
 
People of the world often worship the created rather than the creator.
 
This is described in Romans 1.
 
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.20 For the invisible things of HIM from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even HIS eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified HIM not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
 
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Concerning Gideon:
 
Judges 8
 
32 And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.33 And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baalberith their god.34 And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side:35 Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel.
 
In the Old Testament, the children of Israel were not given the Holy Spirit except in certain instances such as the prophets.  Unless you have the Spirit of God in you, Jesus says you cannot "see" the kingdom of God.  (Jn. 3)
 
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.
 
But the people of this world often hope to be viewed as good people.  But Jesus said there is none good but God.  And having the Holy Spirit makes all the difference.
 
In the New Testament, all who are born again are born of the Spirit and have been given the Spirit of God to live in them to teach and guide them.
 
I Corinthians 3:16   Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
 
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* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog 

Gideon, chosen by God to save the children of Israel from the Midianites

Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ... 
Judges 6
 
1 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.  (7-years)2 And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds. 3 And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them; 4 And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. 5 For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it. 6 And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD. 7 And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD because of the Midianites,8 That the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage; 9 And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land; 10 And I said unto you, I am the LORD your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed MY voice.
If we fear those things the world fears, we take on "another god".  Instead we should turn to our God and ask HIM to deal with those fears which come from this world and we ask God to protect us as HIS people and know that HE is God and in control of those things which this world fears.
 
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Another problem:  The children of Israel tried to co-mingle with the people of this world and that ended up drawing them away, in part, from the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
 
When we try to be friends (support) the people who do not follow God, we are greatly weakened and will find it difficult to speak the Word that is from God for we might offend them with the Word.
 
We end up putting ourselves into bondage to the world as we hold back from speaking in order to keep the worldly people as "friends".  Often these worldly people are relatives and even attend some form of Christian type church but they do not follow all the counsel of God as given in the New Testament Bible.
 
When we do speak the word given us by the Holy Spirit when we are with them, we often drive them out from us by the Word we speak.  
 
But wanting to be friends with them, we often withhold that word which God would have us speak and we try to please them with our words.
 
They become thorns in our sides and pricks in our eyes and vex us by their words in the land God has given us.
 
This is what God said would happen:
 
Numbers 33:55  But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.
 
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There was a Catholic woman who enjoyed visiting me.  But she would come to my house and tell me some worldly news story or begin telling me something that she considered truth which was not in the Bible.
 
Each time she did this, I would explain to her:  "What you have said is not in the Bible.  I want to build my house on the Word of God from the Bible."  
 
Often I would read the scripture from the Bible that pertained to the story she had just told.
 
After a time, she stopped contacting me.
 
This is how we drive them out from us today in the New Testament church.  Speak what the Bible says.  If God gives them an heart to hear they will be born again by the Word.  If not, they will leave.
 
If the unbeliever depart let him depart.
 
But we do not want to keep the world nor the unbelieving church around us for they will trouble us with their words and their concepts.  Neither do we let them overcome us by our silence. 
 
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A Baptist woman welcomed her adulterous granddaughter into her home. Even people in the community knew of the granddaughter's multiple adulterous relationships with men. I just couldn't understand allowing this granddaughter into my home. The granddaughter was raised in the Baptist church. But she flaunted her sin in front of her grandmother and her Baptist grandmother allowed her to come to her house.
 
A Church of Christ cousin of mine allowed her cousin and that cousin's lover to come spend week-ends at her home.
 
When my neighbor, a Jewish man, asked me if he could use my spare bedroom for his wife's daughter and her friend for a weekend, I asked him about this "friend". He then told me his wife's daughter was lesbian and her friend was her female "mate".  I told him I could not have this in my house but if he had a married couple they could stay at my house.
 
Romans 1:26-28   For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:  And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
 
I Timothy 5:22 ... neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure.
 
James 4:4  Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
 
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Judges 6
 
11 And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. 12 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him (to Gideon) , and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. 13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all HIS miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites. 14 And the LORD looked upon him (upon Gideon), and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee? 15 And he (Gideon) said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house. 16 And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.
 
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God chose Moses and revealed HIMSELF to Moses.
 
Exodus 3
 
5 And HE (God) said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. 6 Moreover HE said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.
And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. 7 And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; 8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto ME: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt. 11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?
(But it is God who is causing the work that will be done through Moses and therefore it is of God and not of Moses.)
 
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After the resurrection of Jesus, Saul (Paul) was chosen by Jesus and Jesus revealed HIMSELF to Paul.
 
Acts 26  (Paul tells king Agrippa)
 
4 My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;5 Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.6 And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers:7 Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.8 Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?9 I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.10 Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.11 And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.12 Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,13 At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou ME? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? 
And HE said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in ME.19 Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:
Paul was one of those New Testament apostles and teachers given to the New Testament church by Jesus after the crucifixion and resurrection.
 
Ephesians 4
 
11-14 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:  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
 
Today Jesus continues to give ministers to the New Testaments church as HE calls from heaven and ordains HIS ministers to do this work of the ministry in the New Testament church today.
 
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In both the Old and New Testament, both men and women (Deborah in Judges 4 & Philip's 4 daughters in Acts 21 who did prophesy), were called by God for HIS work and set in the children of Israel and in the New Testament church to lead HIS people and to turn them to HIS ways.
 
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* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog 

Deborah, one of the judges of Israel, used by God to deliver the children of Israel

Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ... 
Judges 4  (Deborah)
 
1 And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, when Ehud was dead.2 And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.3 And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.4 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.5 And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.
(Deborah was given a message for Barak, the captain of the army of God, who had delayed going to war.)6 And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the LORD God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?7 And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand.8 And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.9 And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. 
And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.10 And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him.11 Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab the father in law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, and pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh.
(Here is a connection with friends of God and notice that Heber had "severed himself" from the enemies of God and no longer lived with the Canaanites.  So we see that some of this group would not be supportive of Sisera though they did give him some information but that information lured Sisera to his downfall and his eventual death.)12 And they shewed Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor.13 And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon.14 And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in which the LORD hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not the LORD gone out before thee? 
So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.15 And the LORD discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet.16 But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, unto Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword; and there was not a man left.
(God shows all of the enemies of the children of Israel being destroyed.)17 Howbeit Sisera (the captain of the host of Canaan) fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite: for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.18 And Jael (Herber's wife) went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle.
(She appears to support Sisera.)19 And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him.20 Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and enquire of thee, and say, Is there any man here? that thou shalt say, No.21 Then Jael Heber's wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him (to Sisera), and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died.22 And, behold, as Barak (the captain of the army of Israel) pursued Sisera, Jael (Herber's wife) came out to meet him, and said unto him, Come, and I will shew thee the man whom thou seekest. 
And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail was in his temples.23 So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel.24 And the hand of the children of Israel prospered, and prevailed against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.
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Over and over the children of Israel tried to associate with the people of the other nations but they ended up following after the beliefs of the other nations and sinning against God as they did such.
 
Numbers 33:55  God says:  But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.
 
Psalm 81:9  There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.
 
I Kings 11  (God warned Solomon about the "strange women" but Solomon didn't believe the warning.)
 
1 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites;
2 Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.
 
The children of Israel turned from the commandments given by God and did in the ways of the people around them.
 
And then they could not stand against their enemies and God gave them over to serve their enemies.  And their hearts were turned from the Lord God by these people of other nations and they did not wholly follow the commandments of God.
 
When the bondage became too severe, then they called upon God for HIS help and God raised up a deliver to judge the nations with God's judgment.
 
Proverbs 14:12  There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
 
The children of Israel thought it would be good to mingle with the children of the nations of this world and make friends with them and even to intermarry.  
 
But God had told them if they would not drive these people out from among them, they would vex the children of Israel and end up being thorns in their sides and pricks in their eyes and they would turn them away from wholly following God.
 
God's way is often very different from our own reasoning.  We must go in the way that is right in the sight of God.
 
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I Corinthians 6
 
14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
 
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James 4:4   Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
 
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* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog 

The judges appointed by God are used by God to deliver the children of Israel from the nations of this world

Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...
The judges in the Old Testament who were raised up by God, administered justice in the sight of God, destroying the enemies of the children of God of the nation of Israel, and delivering the children of Israel from various bondages.
 
In the Bible, the book of Judges tells us of the work of those judges appointed by God.
 
We see many Judges named in the book of Judges.  
 
And the following pattern recurs through those decades. 
 
The children of Israel did evil in the sight of God.  God would then turn them over to the nations of men to rule over them with hard bondages, often for many years. 
 
The children of Israel went into evil because they would not fully obey God.
 
Judges 2
 
1 And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break MY covenant with you.2 And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed MY voice: why have ye done this?3 Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.
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Judges 2
 
11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:12 And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.13 And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.14 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and HE delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and HE sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.15 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.
16 Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.
18 And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the LORD because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.19 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.
 
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Then after years in service to the nations of men and after they suffered hard bondages, they would turn to God and cry out to God for help and God would raise up a judge to deliver them and often to destroy the enemy.
 
Judges 3
 
5 And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites:6And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods.7And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves.8Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim eight years.9And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.10And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim.11And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.12And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD.13And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees.14So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.15 But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.
16 But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh.
17 And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man.18 And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people that bare the present.19 But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him.20 And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he (the king) arose out of his seat.21 And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly:22 And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out.23 Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them.24 When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlour were locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber.25 And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlour; therefore they took a key, and opened them: and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.
26 And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Seirath.
 
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27 And it came to pass, when he (Ehud) was come, that he blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them.
(A trumpet is a call to arms or attention.)28 And he said unto them, Follow after me: for the LORD hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.29 And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valour; and there escaped not a man.
(God did not allow the children of Israel to mingle with the people of other nations, for God said they would end up pulling them away to "their gods".  
 
Numbers 33
 
50 And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,51 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye are passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan;52 Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places:
(These nations had set up idols whereby they worshipped their gods and God had HIS people pull down these idols and destroy that which the nations worshipped.)53 And ye shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to possess it.54 And ye shall divide the land by lot for an inheritance among your families: and to the more ye shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer ye shall give the less inheritance: every man's inheritance shall be in the place where his lot falleth; according to the tribes of your fathers ye shall inherit.55 But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.56 Moreover it shall come to pass, that I shall do unto you, as I thought to do unto them.
They would not listen to God.  They tried to "be friends" with the nations of men.  They intermarried with these nations.  And these nations influenced the children of Israel in worldly ways and they did not wholly follow God when that happened.  And they could no longer stand against their enemies and went into various sins and bondages of those nations around them. 
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Judges 330 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years. (80-years)31 And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel.
 
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Many times we see the children of Israel disobey God and do that which is evil in the sight of God and turn from the God of Israel.
 
When they do evil in the sight of God, they can no longer overcome their enemies.
 
Revelation 3:5  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.
 
When a person of God tries to be friends and associates with the nations of this world, he does what he thinks to be good, but in the sight of God he does evil because he will end up weakening the word of God in order to keep the association.
 
The world goes one way and the person of God is completely opposite from the world.  
 
The people who are not of God will end up tormenting the person of God.  The world will be like a thorn in his flesh and pricks in his eyes and the world will vex the person of God continually.
 
Light and darkness cannot co-exist.
 
So God tell us the following in the New Testament church:
 
2 Corinthians 6
 
14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be MY people.17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean; and I will receive you,18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
 
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James 4:4  Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
 
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* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog 

God raises up judges to fight against the enemies of Israel and to show the way of God to the children of Israel

Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...
In the days of the Old Testament, for a season, God raised up HIS judges and gave the judges HIS Spirit to lead the children of Israel.
 
Later the people demanded a king like the other nations had to rule over them.
 
But for a period of time God appointed judges.
 
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Judges 3  (Othniel)
 
5 And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites:6 And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods.7 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves.8 Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and HE sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim eight years.
9 And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.10 And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim.11 And the land had rest forty years.  And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
And after the death of Othniel who was the judge of Israel appointed by God, the people stopped following God and mingled again with the nations of the worlds and intermarried and God turned HIS people over to the bondage of this world.
 
We see this pattern over and over in reading about the children of Israel in the Old Testament.
 
Church people today often think they are stronger than this world and that they can co-mingle with the world and perhaps lead people to God by being "friends" and "associates."  And they actually end up showing approval for various sins of the world to keep from offending the worldly people who are around them.
 
James 4:4   Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
 
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Today, Jesus from heaven, gives to the church apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to turn the church to ways of God.
 
Ephesians 4
 
11 And HE (Jesus) 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:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into HIM in all things, which is the head, even Christ:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
 
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I Corinthians 1
 
18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:29 That no flesh should glory in HIS presence.30 But of HIM are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
 
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And in the New Testament church, God gives every born again person HIS own Spirit to enable each person to follow God.
 
I Corinthians 3:16   Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
 
It was not like this in the Old Testament for the children of Israel in the Old Testament had to go to a prophet to inquire of God.
 
Hebrews 1
 
1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by HIS Son, whom HE hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also HE made the worlds;
 
By the Holy Spirit, we know the heart of God and the will of God on the issues pertaining to this present life for it is the Spirit of God who shows us the heart of God.
 
I Corinthians 2
 
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.14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
 
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So today we have a few people in each church group who are born again by God having the Spirit of God ... and we have many in each church group who put themselves into the church by their own works without having the Spirit of God.
 
Havoc results in the churches and doctrines end up being changed from the Holy Bible and people who do have the Spirit of God often hold back and never wholly end up following God.
 
And those who put themselves into the church group by their own will and their own works without having the Spirit of God end up being thorns in the eyes and pricks in the sides of the ones who are truly born again by the Spirit of God and often the ones who are born again try to follow God with those in the church group who do not really believe in all the word of God and do not have the Spirit of God and this becomes a terrible problem.
 
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* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog 

God makes a way where there is no lack. ”The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.”

Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...
Please read these written scriptures before you hear this podcast for these scriptures set the foundation for the recording on this podcast.  
 
God led the children of Israel for 40 years through the wilderness.  God provided all their needs.  There was no lack.
 
Exodus 15:13   Thou in THY mercy hast led forth the people which THOU hast redeemed: THOU hast guided them in THY strength unto THY holy habitation.
 
17 THOU shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of THINE inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which THOU hast made for THEE to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which THY hands have established.
 
Psalm 78
 
7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep HIS commandments:
 
14 In the daytime also HE led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.15 HE clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths.16 HE brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.
 
20 Behold, HE smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can HE give bread also? can HE provide flesh for HIS people?
 
23 Though HE had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,24 And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.25 Man did eat angels' food: HE sent them meat to the full.26 HE caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by HIS power HE brought in the south wind.27 HE rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:28 And HE let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.29 So they did eat, and were well filled: for HE gave them their own desire;30 They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths,31 The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.32 For all this they sinned still, and believed not for HIS wondrous works.33 Therefore their days did HE consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.
 
40 How oft did they provoke HIM in the wilderness, and grieve HIM in the desert!41 Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.
 
51 And (God) smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham:52 But made HIS own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.53 And HE led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.54 And HE brought them to the border of HIS sanctuary, even to this mountain, which HIS right hand had purchased.55 HE cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.56 Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not HIS testimonies:57 But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.58 For they provoked HIM to anger with their high places, and moved HIM to jealousy with their graven images.59 When God heard this, HE was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:60 So that HE forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which HE placed among men;61 And delivered HIS strength into captivity, and HIS glory into the enemy's hand.62 HE gave HIS people over also unto the sword; and was wroth with HIS inheritance.63 The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage.64 Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation.65 Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.66 And HE smote HIS enemies in the hinder parts: HE put them to a perpetual reproach.
 
72 So HE fed them according to the integrity of HIS heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of HIS hands.
 
 
Psalm 105:37  HE brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.
 
God brought more than 600,000 men plus women and children out of Egypt and provided for their needs during the 40-years that HE led them through the wilderness.
 
They lacked nothing!
 
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This podcast is a story of how God provided for me years before I knew a provision would be needed, so there was no need.
 
God knows future and plans for us!
 
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* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog 

The apostle Paul said, ”Let your women keep silence in the churches.” I asked God about this.

Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...
I Corinthians 14  (The apostle Paul said)  
 
34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.
 
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After I was born again in 1975,  I was transported into heaven twice (on two nights, the same week).  I was with God and Christ and the Holy Spirit.  
 
On both of those nights, I was merged into the body of Jesus, made one with the Word of God, God and Holy Spirit witnessing.  
 
(I saw no physical type images.  It was an experience in spirit.)
 
After that, God began teaching me sections of the Bible, both Old and New Testaments.
 
When God revealed to me that I was called to be a minister, I asked God what about the above scripture concerning women speaking in the church.
 
I heard:  "Look at what these women were doing."
 
I reread I Corinthians 14:34-35.
 
Immediately I noticed these women were disrupting the gathering of the church by asking questions.
 
It would be out of order for women to do this at the gathering of the church.
 
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Then God took me to the following scripture:
 
Acts 21
 
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.
Prophesy is for the church.  To prophesy these 4 daughters would have to be able to speak to the church.
 
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I was convinced by these things that women were free to share the spiritual gifts that God gave them with the gathering of the church.
 
God also took me to the scripture showing the work Deborah, the prophetess did in the church.
 
Deborah was not only a prophetess but she was also a "judge".
 
Judges 4
 
1 And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, when Ehud was dead.2 And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.3 And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.4 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.5 And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.6 And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the LORD God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?7 And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand.8 And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.9 And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.10 And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him.
 
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God gave me a spiritual gift of exhortation (Romans 12:8) whereby I was to share certain things as shown me by God with the church.
 
exhort:  urge earnestly by advice and warning
 
God also called the following instruction to my attention:
 
Hebrews 3
 
13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
 
Hebrews 10
 
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.
 
I have been very diligent to share with the church everything that I believe God showed me, thereby bringing exhortations on various issues to the gathering of the church.
 
What is the church?
 
Jesus said:  Matthew 18:20   For where two or three are gathered together in MY name, there am I in the midst of them.
 
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I attended a church named Word of Faith during the years of approximately 1977-1982.  
 
The teacher of our Sunday Bible class never failed to say at each class:  "If anyone has a Word from the Lord, please share that Word now."
 
I often shared words God had given me.
 
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At the weekly prayer group which I attended, I often shared words which I believed to be from God.
 
I owned a small business in Dallas, Texas, during those years and I would share words that I believed to be from God with some of the customers who came to my business, exhorting them in the ways of God.
 
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On January 10, 1980, I was asleep in the night, and was awakened by a very loud trumpet-like voice speaking 3 words into my ear:  "Hartford, Seattle, KWJS"
 
That same morning, I found KWJS to be a radio station where Christians ministers presented exhortations to the church.
 
I said to God, "Are YOU showing me to go on radio?  I wouldn't know how to do that."
 
Immediately I had this brought to my mind by the Holy Spirit.  "Call the radio station manager."
 
I did that this same morning.  I told the station manager that God might be showing me to go on radio.  I asked, "How would you do that?"
 
The station manger said to make an audition tape 29-1/2 minutes long and sent it to him and if my exhortation fit their broadcasting they would offer me a contract.
 
I recorded an exhortation that same morning and put it into the mail that same day.
 
Within 5 days, I was broadcasting exhortations to the church on radio KWJS.
 
In approximately 1 year, I was on radio from Hartford to Seattle, as I was told by the loud trumpet-like voice on the night of January 10, 1980.  I believe this was an instruction from an angel of God.
 
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During those years from 1975 to 1980, I never told anyone that I was called by God to be a minister.
 
I just kept presenting words of exhortation and gifts of the Holy Spirit as appropriate in those places where I went.
 
When I did that, individuals would often say, "We know the hand of God is upon you."
 
One Sunday morning at Word of Faith, the pastor, Robert Tilton, said to all the congregation, "Joan is not called to be a teacher.  She is a prophetess."
 
I had certainly never told that to anyone although I knew God was training me to do the work of a prophet.
 
At the time Bob announced this to the church, I was already exhorting the church on radio KWJS.
 
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On March 27, 2012, God gave me the following dream:  A woman was singing to a group of people.  I said, "She has a little voice but it is a nice little voice."  She continued singing.  Then in the dream, I realized it was somehow a blog and it was a way to communicate with people in the church."
 
Pam Padgett had been a computer programmer with FedEx in Colorado Springs.  I called Pam and asked her if she could set up a blog for Jesus Ministries.  Pam said she didn't know anything about blogs, but she probably could.  She began praying and God showed her to keep this simple.  In a day or two Pam had set up a blog for us and we were publishing by approximately March 30, 2012.  We publish daily and have done such since we began the blog.
 
In 2015 we began writing ministry books on Amazon in both e-book and paperback format.  Amazon has a free book program whereby people can get e-books without charge and we especially like this program.  To date, we have published approximately 35 ministry books on Amazon.
 
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The first week of February, 2020, God gave me a dream showing me kittens waiting outside the front door of my house.  There were many kittens.  They were waiting to be fed.  Some of the kittens were at the point of death.  When I went into my garage, there were also many kittens who were starving, waiting for me to feed them.
 
I asked God what this dream meant.  "How could I feed all these starving kittens?"
 
Immediately the word, "Podcast", came into my mind.
 
Within two or three days, we had purchased recording equipment and had set up a Podcast host and had begun publishing Podcasts to exhort the church daily in scriptures and concepts of following God  by HIS Spirit,  Since beginning that first week in February 2020, we have published daily fresh exhortations on various subjects from the Old and New Testaments.  These are available on Internet all over the world.
 
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The important thing for each of us to consider when we do a work is this:
 
"Did God tell me to do this work?" 
 
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* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog 

The children of Israel repeatedly did evil in the sight of God in the Old Testament

Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...
Judges 3
 
5 And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites:6 And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods.7 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves.8 Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and HE sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim eight years.
 
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People in churches often think they will lead unbelievers to the Lord.  But it ends up those unbelievers cause the religious people to turn from God, setting aside certain scriptures in order to continue friendships with that unbeliever.
 
A woman told me of her teenaged daughter and a young man who had left their church group and how her daughter was going out to rescue this young man and bring him back to the church.  
 
I said to her, "He will draw your daughter away from the church."
 
The mother didn't believe me and she said, "My daughter will never leave the faith.  You don't know how strong she is."
 
The scriptures warn us.
 
Even Solomon was affected by the strange women who were his wives and concubines.  God warned Solomon, but he wouldn't heed the warning, thinking it wouldn't happen to him.
 
I Kings 11
 
1 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites;2 Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father.7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.9 And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded.11 Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept MY covenant and MY statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.12 Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son.13 Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David MY servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen.14 And the LORD stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite: he was of the king's seed in Edom.
 
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2 Corinthians 6
 
14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be MY people.17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean; and I will receive you,18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be MY sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
 
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Hebrews 6
 
4 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,5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,6 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.
 
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Hebrews 10
 
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 (The Word), 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.
 
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2 Peter 2
 
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.
 
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I Corinthians 5
 
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.6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened.
 
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.
 
13 Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
 
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Titus 3
 
10 A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;11 Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.
(Warn him once or twice, then leave him alone.)
 
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God tested the children of Israel to see if they would cling to HIM.
 
Judges 3
 
1 Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan;
 
3 Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon unto the entering in of Hamath.4 And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which HE commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.5 And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites:6 And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods.7 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves.8 Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and HE sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim eight years.9 And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.
 
11  And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.12 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD.
 
In the days of the Old Testament, the children of Israel had to go to a prophet to inquire of God.  God did not give HIS Spirit, the Holy Spirit, to each of the children of Israel as God gives the Holy Spirit today to each person who is born again.
 
At that time, of the Old Testament, God gave "judges" to the children of Israel to deliver them when they fell into sins and bondages to other nations.  
 
After the judge died, the children of Israel returned to their own way of thinking which was evil and they did evil again in the sight of God.
 
Genesis 6:5 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.
 
Later, in the New Testament, God is going to give those born again a new heart and a new Spirit.
 
Ezekiel 36
 
26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.27 And I will put MY spirit within you, and cause you to walk in MY statutes, and ye shall keep MY judgments, and do them.
 
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In the New Testament church today, every person who is born again by God by HIS Spirit is given by God the Holy Spirit to lead and guide him in the ways of God.
 
I Corinthians 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
 
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  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 (from God), that shall HE speak: and HE will shew you things to come.
 
Unless we are born again, given another heart and another Spirit, we cannot serve God.
 
I Corinthians 2:14   But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
 
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* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog 

Changed by God

Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...
Genesis 6:5
 
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.
The minute man touches something, he pollutes it with his own flesh.
 
Therefore in the Old Testament, God would not allow them to bring "hewn" stones into the tabernacle.
 
Exodus 20:26   God says:  And if thou wilt make ME an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.
 
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So God said:
 
Ezekiel 36:26  A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you:
 
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In the New Testament church, the new covenant of God, we are "born again", changed by God, given a "new heart" and a "new spirit", which is different from the heart and spirit with which we were born onto this earth by our natural parents.
 
After God causes this change to happen in us, we no longer follow after those things of the flesh as we once did. Now we want to know things of God and we consider what God wants us to do.
 
We are a new creature:
 
2 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.
 
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We were once flesh, following the impulses of our own flesh.  But now we also have the Spirit of God so we choose to follow that which is shown us by the Spirit of God, desiring to please God.
 
Galatians 5:19-21  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
 
Think about the way you were before God changed you.  
 
Take the above list and circle those works of the flesh which you sought after before you were born again.
 
Consider how different you are now!
 
We don't all seek after each work of the flesh but we have tendencies toward doing certain fleshly things.
 
I never cared for drinking alcoholic drinks because I did not like the taste of the drinks.  But some people are very drawn toward such.
 
My interest was more in debating, striving, emulations.
 
I find the people and things I once enjoyed, I no longer enjoy.  God changed my heart and gave me a new Spirit, HIS Spirit.  After that, I wanted to know about God and I wanted to be with people of God.
 
Now I know things of this world mean nothing and all these things we can see with our natural eyes will be destroyed by God at the end of this world.
 
Matthew 24:1-2  And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and HIS disciples came to HIM for to shew HIM the buildings of the temple.2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
Everything we now see with our eyes will be destroyed by God at the end of this present world.
 
Matthew 24:35  Jesus says:  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but MY words shall not pass away.
 
Now I know the only thing worth following is the Word from God which continues forever.
 
Some people worship historical objects, cultural objects.
 
Some focus on buildings created by man, wonders produced by man.
 
Some are impressed by intellect of man.
 
All these will pass away and are very temporary.
 
The Word of the Lord is forever, an investment worthy of giving all in order to follow that Word which God speaks to us.
 
We are greatly blessed when we understand this!
 
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After God gives us a new heart and a new Spirit, HIS Own Spirit, the Holy Spirit, we then begin to follow what HE says to us, doing HIS things.
 
And when we do that which God tells us to do by HIS Spirit, we end up producing the fruits of the Spirit by doing those things.
 
Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance:
This is totally different from that fleshly spirit which we once followed.
 
And we thank God continually that HE changed us from that person we once were!
 
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* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog 

After the death of Joshua, God raised up judges to deliver HIS people from the evil of the nations around them

Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...
The children of Israel passed over river Jordan and fought the nations and took the land which God had promised to Abraham 400-years earlier.
 
Joshua grew old and died after he had divided the land and had given that land to the 12 tribes of the children of Israel.
 
The people began living on their inheritance.
 
But when they failed to drive out the nations around them, they began to take on the gods of those nations and sinned against God.
 
God sent HIS angel to them to deliver the following message.
 
Judges 2
 
1 And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break MY covenant with you.2 And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed MY voice: why have ye done this?3 Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.4 And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.
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Judges 2
 
7  And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD, that HE did for Israel.
 
10  and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which HE had done for Israel.
 
11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:12 And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.13 And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.14 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and HE delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and HE sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.15 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.
 
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God raises up judges to set the children of Israel in the right way:
 
Judges 2
16 Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.
17 And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; but they did not so.
18 And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the LORD because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.19 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.20 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and HE said, Because that this people hath transgressed MY covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto MY voice;21 I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died:
 
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The children of Israel brought upon themselves curses by their disobedience to the Lord God. And they could no longer stand against their enemies and the nations of worldly men ruled over them and put them back into various bondages and the children of Israel served the gods of the nations of men.
 
From time to time God would raise up a judge, such as Samson, to avenge the children of Israel against the Philistines, but the real answer would come decades later through Jesus and HIS sacrifice and HIS Holy Spirit which God would give to all who belonged to God and believed in the Word of God.
 
The promise was this:  God would give them "a new heart" and God would give HIS people "a new Spirit."
 
Ezekiel 36
 
16 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,17 Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way was before ME as the uncleanness of a removed woman.18 Wherefore I poured MY fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it:19 And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them.20 And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned MY holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of HIS land.21 But I had pity for Mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went.22 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for Mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.23 And I will sanctify MY great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.24 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.27 And I will put MY spirit within you, and cause you to walk in MY statutes, and ye shall keep MY judgments, and do them.28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be MY people, and I will be your God.
 
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Therefore God gave HIS people a new covenant and a new Spirit, HIS Own Spirit, so when we follow that Spirit, that Holy Spirit, there is no condemnation for us.
 
Romans 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 
 
Galatians 5:16  This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
 
Galatians 5:19-21  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
 
Galatians 5:22-23  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance:
 
As long as we follow that which the Holy Spirit of God shows us to do, we walk in the Spirit, and we produce the fruits of the Spirit of God doing that which is righteous in the sight of God.
 
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* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog 

The example of Ruth, a godly woman

Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ... 
Naomi was the wife of Elimelech a man of the tribe of Ephraim, the son of Joseph.
 
When a famine hit the land, he took his family to the land of Moab where he and his two sons died.  The wives of the sons were Moabites.  One was named Ruth.
 
After the famine, Naomi decided to return to her people in Judah so she sent her two daughter's in law back to their families.  Oprah returned to her mother and father.  But Ruth continued to follow Naomi.
 
Naomi said to Ruth:
 
Ruth 1:15  Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.
 
But Ruth refused to leave her mother-in-law and she made this outstanding declaration to Naomi:
 
Ruth 1:16-17   Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.
So Naomi allowed Ruth to go with her into Judah.
 
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Naomi had a near kinsman named Boaz.  Ruth went to glean in his fields.  Boaz noticed Ruth and made inquiry and found her to be the daughter-in-law of Naomi and found her husband had died in Moab.
 
Boaz instructed Ruth:
 
Ruth 2
 
8 ... Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens:9 Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.10 Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?11 And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore.12 The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.
 
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When Ruth made the decision to accompany her mother-in-law, there was no sign of reward for Ruth in doing this.  She simply loved Naomi and went in faith and even turned to the God of Naomi.
 
Great blessing from God was upon Ruth for doing this.
 
Ruth ended up married to Boaz and had a child by him.
 
Ruth 4:17   and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
 
(Ruth's great grandson was David who was to be king over Israel, replacing Saul.)
 
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* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog 

God does all that HE said HE would do

Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...
Joshua 21
 
43 And the LORD gave unto Israel all the land which HE sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein.44 And the LORD gave them rest round about, according to all that HE sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.45 There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.
 
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Some of those things God promised to the nation of Israel.
 
Genesis 12
 
1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.4 So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.
6 And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.7 And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land:
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The children of Israel spent 430 years in Egypt and then God brought them out and took them across the wilderness and into the land which HE had promised to Abraham.
 
Moses led them to the river Jordan.
 
Then Joshua took Moses place and led them into that land promised to Abraham by God.
 
There were more than 600,000 men over the age of 20.  God showed them which cities to conquer and they took those cities for their possessions.
 
As a leader, God promised Joshua the following:
 
Joshua 1
 
3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses MY servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,11 Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the LORD your God giveth you to possess it.
 
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God has given us in the New Testament church many gifts to enable us to do HIS assignments on this present earth as along as HE leaves us on this earth.
 
We have our assignments.  Some have been given families which is their assignment.  Others are given to the church to work in the church.
 
Ephesians 4
 
7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.8 Wherefore HE saith, When HE ascended up on high, HE led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
 
11 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:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into HIM in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
 
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2 Peter 1
 
3 According as HIS divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of HIM that hath called us to glory and virtue:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
 
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We enter into God's rest on this earth by faith as we live in those exceeding great and precious promises some of which are as follows:
 
Hebrews 13:5  Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for HE hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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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.
 
We overcome through God as long as we live on this present earth.
 
When a problem surfaces, we pray.  God shows us what to do in the problem by bringing the Word to our mind by the Holy Spirit.  We do that Word in the problem, overcoming by that Word which we have heard from God.  And after we do that, we are at rest again in God by that which HE told us to do in the problem.  And we live in a continual rest by faith in God as long as God chooses to leave us on this earth.
 
God keeps us continually by that Word which HE brings to our mind.
 
Like the children who overcame in the Old Testament, we overcome through the faith we have in God by doing that which God tells us to do in the midst of the problem.
 
The Holy Spirit of God is given by God to live in us in the New Testament to teach us all things, to guide us into all truth, to remind us of all that Jesus has said, and to show us things to come.
 
Romans 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
 
Galatians 5:22-23  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance:
 
The Holy Spirit of God brings to our mind that which is the will of God in the issues of this life and we follow HIM.
 
Our faith is in what God says in the matter of this present life and we do that Word which HE brings to us and we overcome through our faith in that Word which HE has given us.
 
Jesus says to us:
 
Matthew 24:35  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but MY words shall not pass away.
 
So we continually ask ourselves:  "Did God tell me to do this?"
 
That is all that matters.
 
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* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog 

Some fail to enter into things of God because they lack faith in that which God says

Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...
Hebrews 3
 
12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear HIS voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.17 But with whom was HE grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?18 And to whom sware HE that they should not enter into HIS rest, but to them that believed not?19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
 
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Joshua 18
 
(Some of the children of Israel were failing to enter into the promised land and failing to posses the land given to them by God.)
 
3 And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the LORD God of your fathers hath given you?4 Give out from among you three men for each tribe: and I will send them, and they shall rise, and go through the land, and describe it according to the inheritance of them; and they shall come again to me.5 And they shall divide it into seven parts: Judah shall abide in their coast on the south, and the house of Joseph shall abide in their coasts on the north.6 Ye shall therefore describe the land into seven parts, and bring the description hither to me, that I may cast lots for you here before the LORD our God.7 But the Levites have no part among you; for the priesthood of the LORD is their inheritance: and Gad, and Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh, have received their inheritance beyond Jordan on the east, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave them.8 And the men arose, and went away: and Joshua charged them that went to describe the land, saying, Go and walk through the land, and describe it, and come again to me, that I may here cast lots for you before the LORD in Shiloh.9 And the men went and passed through the land, and described it by cities into seven parts in a book, and came again to Joshua to the host at Shiloh.10 And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD: and there Joshua divided the land unto the children of Israel according to their divisions.
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There is a rest for the people of God but some fail to enter into God's rest because of lack of faith in God's Word.
 
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* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog 

Joshua commands the children of Joseph to take the land though the Canaanites have iron chariots

Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...
Being overcome by this world is a terrible thing.  It should not happen since God is our Father and is leading and guiding us.  God is greater than all and we are HIS children.
 
Revelation 3:5  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.
 
I John 4:4  Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is HE that is in you, than he that is in the world.
 
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.  
 
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   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 (from God), that shall HE speak: and HE will shew you things to come.
 
14  He shall glorify ME: for he shall receive of Mine, and shall shew it unto you.
 
God always has a way for us to overcome.
 
Pray and wait for God's answer.  Then do that which you believe God has said to you.
 
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Joshua 17
 
The children of Joseph, the 1/2 tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim, needed more land for their tribes.  
 
12 Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities; but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.13 Yet it came to pass, when the children of Israel were waxen strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute; but did not utterly drive them out.14 And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the LORD hath blessed me hitherto?15 And Joshua answered them, If thou be a great people, then get thee up to the wood country, and cut down for thyself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the giants, if mount Ephraim be too narrow for thee.16 And the children of Joseph said, The hill is not enough for us: and all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both they who are of Bethshean and her towns, and they who are of the valley of Jezreel.17 And Joshua spake unto the house of Joseph, even to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, Thou art a great people, and hast great power: thou shalt not have one lot only:18 But the mountain shall be thine; for it is a wood, and thou shalt cut it down: and the outgoings of it shall be thine: for thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they be strong.
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Weaker nations will pull you down.
 
2 Corinthians 6
 
14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be MY people.17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean; and I will receive you,
18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be MY sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
 
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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.4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
 
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Psalm 78
 
7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep HIS commandments:8 And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.9 The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.10 They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in HIS law;11 And forgat HIS works, and HIS wonders that HE had shewed them.
 
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* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog 

Because he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel

Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...
Joshua 14   (Caleb speaking to Joshua)
 
5 As the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did, and they divided the land.6 Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that the LORD said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in Kadeshbarnea.
7 Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadeshbarnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart.8 Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the LORD my God.9 And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children's for ever, because thou hast wholly followed the LORD my God.
 
Numbers 13
 
17 And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this way southward, and go up into the mountain:18 And see the land, what it is; and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many;19 And what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong holds;20 And what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the firstripe grapes.21 So they went up, and searched the land from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath.22 And they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)23 And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs.24 The place was called the brook Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence.25 And they returned from searching of the land after forty days.26 And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land.27And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.28 Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.30 And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.31 But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.32 And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
 
All those men who brought the evil report died in the wilderness by the commandment of the Lord, but Joshua and Caleb are still alive and move into the land which is promised by God, and Caleb wants more land and declares to Joshua that God has kept him strong and he is well able though he is now 85.
 
Joshua 14  (Caleb says)
 
10 And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as HE said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old.  (85-years-old)11 As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.12 Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said.
(All that matters to us is God being with us.  Paul says:  "If God be for us, who can be against us?"  Romans 8:31)13 And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance.
 
14 Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel.
 
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It is so wonderful and exciting to witness the victories of the armies of God and the way of Joshua and Caleb as they served God.
 
We today have been freed from the sin which we once served so we, too, can wholly follow God.  And as we follow the Spirit of God we enter into the rest God has for HIS people.
 
Romans 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
 
Where our flesh would try to lead us to hate and strive and try to outdo people, the Spirit of God in us leads us into love, joy, and peace.
 
We deliberately follow the Spirit, keeping our own flesh down by obeying the Spirit of God.
 
Galatians 5:16  This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
 
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* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog 

Racism

Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ... 
The word "race" is not in the Bible.  Nor is the word "racism" in the Bible.
 
I asked God about this and I heard:  "Jews and Gentiles"
 
(And we know from the Bible that the Jews, the children of Israel, were the chosen people of God, but God made a way for the Gentiles to be come to God through faith.)
 
Racism is basically hatred of individuals who are of other races.
 
We who are of God are one with all individuals who have the Spirit of God.  Race is not a factor for us.  Being born again by God by HIS Spirit is that which makes us Christians.  And we follow HIS Spirit producing the fruits of the Spirit by doing that which the Holy Spirit shows us to do.  And one of the fruits produced by the Spirit of God is love which is opposite to hatred.  It is not that we try to love.  We love because we are of God and God has given us HIS Spirit and another heart which causes us to love in situations where once we hated.
 
People who are not of God follow the feelings produced by their own flesh, by the nature of man.
 
Galatians 5
 
16  This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
 
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,23 Meekness, temperance:
 
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Several years ago, a professional basketball player legally changed his name to "World Peace."
 
He appeared on the basketball court wearing a jersey with his name, "World Peace", printed on the back of his jersey.
 
A few weeks later, this same player was suspended from NBA for fighting during the basketball game.
 
New years resolutions are often made by worldly people only to be broken.
 
The NFL (National Football League in USA) has started printing on the back of helmets the words:  End racism  And on some helmets we see the words:  Stop hatred
 
But no man nor organization of men can legislate the heart of man.
 
Only God can do that!
 
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Genesis 6
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.
 
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted HIS way upon the earth.
 
Ezekiel 36   God says:
 
26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.27 And I will put MY spirit within you, and cause you to walk in MY statutes, and ye shall keep MY judgments, and do them.
 
John 3   Jesus says:
 
3 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
(We cannot understand things of God unless God shows us HIS truth.)
 
5 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
 
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Man cannot change by his own will.  He must be changed by God into a new creature.
 
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.
 
God gives HIS children new hearts and a new Spirit, the Spirit of God, to live inside each child of God.
 
By the Spirit of God each of us change from within by the will of God.
 
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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.
 
So the natural man goes on doing those works of the flesh:
 
The organizations like the NFL can make rules and suspend violators or fire violators or threaten violators, but the NFL rules cannot change man's heart.  God changes the heart of man.
 
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* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog 

Warnings and information needed for us today from the Bible

Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ... 
When we are watching TV or a person brings to us a concept which conflicts with what we know to be in the Bible, we should reinforce the Bible in our heart and mind by returning to the subject and reading again what the Bible says.
 
The apostle Paul reminds to build ourselves up in the ways of God as follows:
 
Romans 12:2   And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
 
As Christians, we continually review that which God has said concerning various subjects and we conform our thoughts to the will of God by the Holy Bible.
 
It is important to review the scriptures often on the "spotlight" subjects, which have come into our view as the world speaks, so we will not be conformed to the thinking of this world.
 
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As we go forward, we can expect the thinking of individuals of this world and of those in apostate church groups to get "worse and worse" ... they will deceive and will be deceived.
 
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.
(Often they will attend church and delight in the appearance of being "religious", loving their church buildings, their stained glass windows, their religious art works, their church choirs, and their ministers while casting away scriptures or not even looking at Bible to see what God says about various subjects.)
 
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
(It is God who teaches us by HIS Spirit, opening our eyes to HIS truth on the issues at hand.)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:
(We correct ourselves as we read the New Testament Bible.  We also take heed to examples in Old Testament which show us what is right in the sight of God and we are warned by these writings. We set what we think about various issues of this life to agree with that which God shows us in the Bible. Our doctrines conform to the doctrines shown by the New Testament Bible.)17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
 
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We often renew our minds by looking at scriptures which pertain to various issues which we see happening today.
 
* Concerning homosexuals & lesbians: What does the Bible say?
 
Romans 1
 
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
 
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Genesis 13:13   But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.
 
What does the Bible show us the men of Sodom doing?
 
Genesis 19
 
1 And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;2 And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.3 And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:
(The men from the city of Sodom came "from every quarter" of the city to Lot's house to have sex with the 2 strangers who had come to Sodom.)5 And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.
(know them: have sex with them)6 And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him,7 And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.
(Lot, a righteous man, knew that homosexual acts were "wicked".)
 
 
2 Peter 2
 
7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:
 
(conversation: showing their manner of life)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:
 
Genesis 14
8  (Lot says to the men of Sodom who came to have sex with the 2 men at his house) Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.9 And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.10 But the men (the 2 visitors who were angels) put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door.11 And they (the 2 angels) smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.12 And the men (the angels) said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place:13 For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it.
 
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Concerning "Sodomites", the Bible says:
 
I Kings 15:12   And he
took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.
II Kings 23:7  And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, that were by the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the grove.
 
I Kings 14:24   And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.
 
2 Peter 2:6  And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes (God) condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
 
Lamentations 4:6  For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of MY people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her.
 
Deuteronomy 23:17  
There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel.
 
Each of these scriptures show us God's view of homosexuals and lesbians and these scriptures show such to be sin in the sight of God and show us great destruction from God that came upon those who continued in these sins.
 
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* Concerning divorce and remarriage:  What does the Bible say?
 
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 divorced woman will commit adultery if she remarries but her husband who divorced her will be the "cause" of her adultery.
 
- the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery
 
Matthew 19:9  Jesus says:  And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
 
Mark 10  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.
 
(Man and woman become one flesh at the time of sexual intercourse, says the apostle Paul.  I Cor. 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.)
Mark 10
 
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.
 
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.
 
Romans 7:2-3   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.
 
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* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog