Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
You can go to heaven without being baptized in water (thief on the cross as example), but you cannot go to heaven without being baptized in the Holy Ghost which Jesus does (Jn. 1) ... for to be baptized in the Holy Ghost only comes through Jesus and that is what it means "to be born again".
Jn. 1 ... 29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. 30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. 31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. 32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. 33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. 34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
What does it mean to be baptized with the holy Ghost?
Only Jesus can do this.
Before Jesus was crucified, HE said to his disciples ... It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. Jn. 16:7
Prior to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, the Holy Ghost was not given to all persons who believe.
But after the crucifixion, to the New Covenant church, all who believed were given the Holy Ghost.
Eph. 1 ... 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; 8Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; 9Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: 10That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. 13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
We can be baptized in water and still not be born again. That happened to me. I was baptized in water when I was 15 years old. I didn't want to go to hell. I equated joining a church and being baptized in water as not going to hell. So I went forth at church and was baptized in water. But nothing changed. My life after this was the same. I never thought of what God wanted. I just pursued what I wanted.
When I was 37 years old, I was reading a book about sin and God spoke to me by HIS Spirit and said: "Joan ... you know all those mistakes you've been making all these years? ... Those weren't mistakes ... Those were sins." I was very shocked: "Sins?" I was instantly changed! Now I thought of God all the time. I wanted to read Bible.
What happened to me? I was baptized in the Holy Ghost by Jesus, by truth. I was now born again, a new creature.
Jesus says: 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.
Born of water and the Spirit? ... I believe this means being born of the water of the truth of the Word and being given the Spirit of God to live in you.
When the Spirit of God lives in us, we have the following promises of Jesus as to what the Spirit of God does for us.
Jn. 14:26 ... 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.
Jn. 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, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Four things listed in the above scriptures concerning the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of truth:
- He will teach you all things (secular and spiritual)
- He will remind you of that which Jesus has said
- He will guide you into all truth
- He will show you things to come
You cannot make this happen. You can join a church and even be baptized in water and not be born again. Only Jesus (God) can cause us to be born again and that is done by the will of God as we are given the Spirit of God to dwell in us and lead us in all things.
Romans 8 ... 8So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
... 11But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. 12Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
And it is the Spirit of God Who searches the heart of God to show to us that which God thinks so that we can follow God.
I Cor. 2 ... 6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 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.
14But 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.
There are people who attend church who are dead as door nails. They try to be spiritual by what they do, by their own idea of what is spiritual. They do not have the Spirit of God. They are not born again by the Spirit of God. They may have been baptized in water but they have not been baptized by Jesus and given the Holy Ghost of Jesus to live inside them. They follow God by their own minds and not by the Spirit. But only the Spirit of God knows the heart of God and you cannot follow God without having the Spirit of God to reveal to you what God wants you to do.
I have often read Luke 6 and have thought how I can't do those things spoken by Jesus in this passage of scripture.
Lk. 6 ...Jesus says ... 27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, 28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. 29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also. 30 Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. 31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. 32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. 33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. 34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. 36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: 38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
Do we really given to every man who asks us to give? Does anyone really do this? We have all manner of people trying to get money from us, both in secular and religious circles.
Here is where the Holy Spirit rules.
Organizations like Salvation Army give free food to able bodied men who are not working.
Paul says: 10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. II Thess. 3
So what do we do?
This is where the Holy Spirit comes in to show us what to do. Remember that one thing the Holy Spirit does is to remind us of all that Jesus (the Word) says ... The Holy Spirit leads us in the will of God in the specific moment of this life. We are reminded of something to show us the will of God in the case before us. Without the Holy Spirit it is impossible to know the will of God.
You can try to follow the letter of the law but you will fail this way.
In Lk. 6, Jesus is showing us how impossible it is without the Spirit of God.