Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
There are many idols in the world today just as there were many idols in Paul's day when he wrote about idols. In Paul's day, idols were often things like figures carved from wood stumps and set up and worshiped as a god and feasts to those gods.
Today some of the idols set up by man and worshiped by man are Christmas, Thanksgiving, football, love of country, even inordinate love of family can be an idol taking the place of God and causing a person to set aside a word from God to please family, love of money, love of possessions, love of reputation, a "good" name among other men. We have to be aware of these idols of today.
I Cor. 10, Paul said ...19 What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing?
20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. 21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils. 22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?
23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
24 Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth. 25 Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake: 26 For the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof.
27 If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake.
28 But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof:
29 Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man’s conscience?
We have to be careful where we put ourselves.
There is a woman here who calls me from time to time asking me to go to lunch with her. I usually do this. But if she called and asked me to go to lunch to celebrate Christmas, I wouldn't go with her for I don't want to be a part of this celebration of this idol. (I don't even want to do birthday lunches. It has always amazed me that people make so much of their own birthdays when they did nothing at all to cause the happening to take place.)
I just prefer not to put myself in a position where we are praising man.
And I do not want to put myself in groups where something is idolized ... Superbowl parties and such things...(I might watch football but I don't want to praise football.)
Basically this is the situation ... Col. 3 ... 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Though once we did those things of the world when we were alive to the world, after we are enlightened we are made dead to the world and the world is dead to us so we go in another way. And if we try to go in the excitement of the world, we will get there and wish we hadn't gone there for we who are alive in Christ will smell the death of the world and it is not a pleasant thing to smell death.