Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
Some people in churches do not understand what it means to be born again. These people often went forward and were baptized in water for one reason or another but nothing changed in their lives.
One woman who had been in church from childhood because of being taken there by her mother told me that she was baptized because her mother said she needed to be baptized because she was beginning to get "too fat" and she needed to do it now.
So they go forward and are baptized or do whatever the church leaders in that group tell them they must do to "join" that church group. Often tithing is a part of their obligation to that group. Tithing is real but tithing and contributions have more to do with having an heart that is grateful to God for saving them.
Jesus said: Jn. 3 ... There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
(Notice Nicodemus was a Pharisee ... highly trained in OT scripture ... even a ruler of the Jews ... but he came to Jesus ... He didn't go to his Pharisees group to inquire of God ... He came to Jesus, by night, apparently indicating so the other Pharisees wouldn't know he did this ...)
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
5Jesus answered, 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. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
I would think "the water" would be the Word given by God which has the power to change and correct us... THE WORD can come to us directly from God in the form of a thought, impression, concept brought to our mind by God. Or the Word can be a scripture brought to mind by the Holy Spirit. But it is not done by our flesh. It must be brought by the Spirit.
Being born of the Spirit only happens when we believe God and God gives us another Spirit, the Spirit of God to lead us and guide us.
We are dramatically changed when this happens.
I was baptized in water before I heard from the Spirit of God. No change at all took place in my life though I thought I was a Christian. But I still lived like the world, pursuing my own thoughts and my own desires.
Then one night while reading a book about sin, God spoke to me by His Spirit in the form of a thought and HE said ... "Joan ... you know all these mistakes you've been making all these years? Those weren't mistakes. Those were sin."
Sin ... I was shocked! And at that point I was changed.
Then after I had been changed God told me to be baptized, which I did that same day that I was told this by God. When the minister lowered me into the water, the Holy Spirit said to me "This is like being buried with Christ." As I came out of the water, the Holy Spirit said to me, "This is like being raised with Christ."(We are also told this in Romans 6 but at the time I was baptized I didn't know Romans 6.)