Many Christians today suffer greatly because they fail to apply the Word of God to their own lives

(This podcast was previously recorded and published on June 25, 2020)

 

Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...

 

Christians often deceive themselves for they hear scriptures or read Bible, but they fail to do the Word spoken in the scriptures.  They fail to grow spiritually.  And like a baby, they can only take milk and not the strong meat of the word.

 

Hebrews 5

 

12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

 

13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

 

14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

 

*****

My cousin, who is now 97 years old, has been in Church of Christ since she was a baby.  She faithfully attends their meetings.  But she does not apply basic scripture to her life.  And therefore she lives tormented.

 

Only when we apply scripture to our lives can we live in peace and joy, overcoming through God by the application of the Word to our lives.

 

Example:

 

My cousin told me she does well during the day but gets down emotionally in the evenings.  (Her husband died 10 years ago.)

 

I replied: "When you begin to feel the problem coming on, if you will turn to God and ask HIM for help, God will help you."

 

I shared the following scripture with her.

 

Philippians 4

 

6 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.

 

A few days after this, my cousin wrote to me and she said:  "I do well in the daytime but in the evenings, I have trouble."

 

This cousin will not apply the word of God in her own life.

 

She seems to trust in her church, but she shows that she does not trust in the Word of God.

 

When this is the case, the individual will grow weaker and weaker.

 

James 1:22   But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

 

Also, concerning my cousin, I put her away from me, not communicating with her again because she had shown me she would not do that word I gave to her by the Spirit of God.

 

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.

 

***

Examine yourself:  Which scripture are you trying to live right now?

 

If your mind is a blank and you are not trying to do any scripture, you are like a person who has fallen asleep ... dead and dying.

 

For our life is in Jesus, the Word.  In HIM there is life.

 

But if we are doing no "word", no scripture, where is the life?  It is probably in your church group.  For when you go to church you "feel" like you do good, but you grow weaker and weaker, often telling your problems to other people and burdening people with your troubles, rather than turning to God and growing in God as HE shows you what to do and you do what you feel God has shown you to do.

 

If you continue in that way of life, taking pleasure in your church rather than in the scriptures, God will turn you over to a strong delusion and will bring destruction upon you because you refused the love of the truth that you might be saved.

 

II Thessalonians 2

 

10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

 

11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

 

12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

 

***

God turns them over to a reprobate mind who refuse to keep HIM (The Word) in their knowledge.

 

Romans 1:28    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;

***

Every time we do a scripture, we are recreated in the image of Jesus, the Word.

 

During the early months of the Coronavirus in March, 2020, I began watching television news.  In a very few days, I found myself to be troubled, where before I had been living in peace.  The troubling was because of the newscasters, not because of the virus.  I found the newscasters trying to spread hatred against the President.  (I am very non political, but I do not want to hate whichever person is president.)  I knew I had to get myself free from television newscasts.

 

I saw a scripture which I knew would free me if I could "do" that scripture.

 

So I began keeping these verses before me day and night and doing the instructions.

 

Proverbs 1

 

10   If sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

 

15  Walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:

 

16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.

 

I kept Proverbs 1 before me day and night.  I thought about it in the morning and again as I went to bed in the evening.  I began thinking of ways I could apply these instruction to my life.

 

In approximately two days, I removed all news channels from my TV guide.  So when I was looking for something to see on television, news channels did not appear on the viewing listing on screen.

 

I began reading Bible in the hours where I had been watching TV news.

 

In June, 2020,when I wondered what was happening with Coronavirus, what were the numbers in the cases, I had the following thought brought to my mind which I believe was from God.  "In September you'll be able to tell by the number of people who are in the football stadiums."  I knew if the fans were allowed back into the stadium, the situation was lessened.  I knew to control my curiosity and focus on my own life which was not changing at all by the virus.  I still read Bible, prayed, heard from God, wrote on our blog and recorded Podcasts.  Just keep doing your job!

 

So that is what I did.

 

Psalm 119:105   Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

 

***

I'm still working on Proverbs 1:10;15-16 ... trying to order my life by these instructions.

 

I look at these 3 verses when I awaken each morning.  I think about what I am doing throughout the day, often structuring my activities by these verses, doing what they say to do.

 

When I go to bed at night, I look again at these verses ... thinking of, "Did I do these things this day?"

 

James 1:25   But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

 

I just keep judging my life by Proverbs 1:10;15-16 ... doing those things appropriate to the instruction of these verses of scripture.

 

In time, I know there will be another scripture to do.  For now this is still the scripture for me to do.

 

I know the following is true:

 

Joshua 1

 

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

 

I've been living this way for the past 40+ years and have had very good success and have grown in ways of God by living the various scriptures called to my mind by the Holy Spirit according to the needs in my life at that moment.

 

It is a great joy to me to have a scripture to follow ... or to have a word of instruction.

 

Also I am following these things:

 

* A word given to Pam Padgett in January 2020,   "Podcast"   Followed by a dream given to me in early February, 2020.  I opened my front door and kittens were everywhere.  Some were starving to death.  I went into my garage and there were more starving kittens, just waiting for me to feed them.

 

I prayed, asking God what this meant and I heard ... "The church"

 

I knew God was leading me to begin Podcasts to exhort the church.  So immediately we found how to do this, bought recording equipment, put these Podcasts on our daily blog, and we continue to present these exhortations for the church as I record, by faith, that which I believe God is showing me to record.

 

The following scriptures also lead me constantly and have for the past 40 years.

 

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;

 

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.

 

(exhort means:  to urge earnestly by advice and warning.)

 

So this is what I do.

 

What scriptures are you following at this point in time?

***

 

John 15  Jesus, the Word, says ...  I am the true vine, and MY Father is the husbandman.

 

2 Every branch in ME that beareth not fruit HE (God) taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, HE purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

 

3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

 

4 Abide in ME, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in ME.

 

5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in ME, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without ME ye can do nothing.

 

6 If a man abide not in ME, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

 

***

 

John 8:31-32  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on HIM, If ye continue in MY word, then are ye MY disciples indeed;

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

 

*** 

 

Romans 8:14   For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 

 

*** 

 

Matthew 24:4-5  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

 

5 For many shall come in MY name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

 

 ***

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.

 

3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

 

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. 

 

1 Timothy 5:22  Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure.

 

💥💥💥💥💥

 

* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog