Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
Jesus knew the plan God had for Him on this present earth.
Matthew 16:21-29 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that HE must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
Then Peter took Him, and began to rebuke Him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.
But HE turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
(deny his own desires, his own wishes, his own preferences, the thoughts of others ... denying everything except that word that God has spoken to him. Going straight ahead, doing that word God has spoken to him.)
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it.
For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of HIS Father with HIS angels; and then HE shall reward every man according to his works.
(We can seek reward and praise from humans, but it is the reward and praise from God that matters. Therefore knowing this, we keep before us the Word given us by God and follow God by that Word.)
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The faith of Abraham ... when tested, Abraham was going to obey God even if it cost the life of his only son, Isaac.
Isaac, the child of the promise, was given to two "dead" people, Abraham being 100 -years- old and Sarah 90-years-old.
Abraham reasoned this way:
Hebrews 11:17-19 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.
Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.
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We do not consider the cost, rather we only consider the Word given by God through HIS Spirit.
Those around us who are watching, but did not hear that word given us by God, may fight against our doing that word.
By faith in God, knowing and believing it was God who gave us that word, we go forward doing that word regardless, clinging to that word given us and to our belief that it was God who told us to do that.
God said to Joshua: Joshua 1:9 Have not I commanded thee?
When we are certain that word we have on the subject was given us by God, that is all we need.
God sends information to our minds through thoughts carried by the Holy Spirit of God. But thoughts can comes from our own fleshly desire and thoughts can come from devil.
We have to be fully persuaded that thought upon which we are about to act was brought to us by God.
Certainly we can ask God to confirm that if we have any question about the matter.
But when we are assured it came from God, we do that word.
To follow God cost the apostle Paul everything.
Paul was highly trained in the doctrine of the Pharisees even to the point of capturing the followers of Jesus and putting them into bondage and causing some to be put to death.
Paul was highly trained in the doctrine of the Pharisees even to the point of capturing the followers of Jesus and putting them into bondage and causing some to be put to death.
After God revealed Jesus to Paul on the road to Damascus (Acts 9), Paul gave up everything to follow Jesus.
The Pharisees, who once loved Paul, now hated Paul and tried multiple times to stop Paul and even tried to kill Paul.
Paul said of himself:
Philippians 3:2-9 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
And be found in HIM, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
(We have no confidence in that which we do or in that which other men do, but rather our confidence is in that which God has done and has said to us.)
(We have no confidence in that which we do or in that which other men do, but rather our confidence is in that which God has done and has said to us.)
Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
And be found in HIM, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
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