Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
Jn. 15 ... Jesus says ... 1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he 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.
We have life through that "bread" that comes down from heaven, the word of God by the Spirit of God. We see here THE WORD (Jesus), by GOD, through the HOLY Spirit ... all three in one.
As we hear that word given us by God through HIS Spirit and as we live in that word, we abide in HIM.
Example: A few weeks ago, I received a card from a woman and in that card she told me she was having 25 to dinner Thanksgiving Day and she and her husband were going to her daughter's house Christmas Day and her grandson got married in October.
In her card, Shirley named 4 things I do not have ... husband, daughter, grandson, and lots of people around me.
Even while reading her card, the Holy Spirit spoke to me in form of the following thought brought to my mind: "You are dead and your life is hid in Christ."
This was so important to me to offset fleshly feelings of not having those things cited by Shirley in her card. I felt no lack at all as I thought on that word given me by the Holy Spirit.
During the weeks since that time, I have often lived in that same word: "You are dead and your life is hid in Christ."
Also that Word (Col. 3) says to me ... 4When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
I have a life in Christ but it is hidden from people. When Christ appears, who is my life, then I will appear with HIM and my life in HIM will be visible to all. But right now it is hidden from Shirley and from my cousins and from various business people who talk with me. It looks like I have no life. And in a way that is right. I have no life on this earth but I do have a life in Christ. On this earth, I'm just a stranger and pilgrim like Abraham and those people of God who look for a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwlleth righteousness.
As we hear from God by HIS Spirit and live in the word brought to us by God by HIS Spirit we abide in HIM. We will bear much fruit this way. We are clean by that Word brought to us.
If anyone tries to live in anything other than that Word from God, he will wither and men will gather him to themselves (to their own ways).
It is not a matter of hearing the word from God or reading the Bible. It is a matter of living that Word given us by God. That word is life to those that continually do the word that is given them by the Holy Spirit.