Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
What is idolatry?
In both the Old Testament and in the New Testament, the people of God are warned about idolatry.
The apostle Paul said:
I Corinthians 6:9-10 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?
Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate (homosexuals), nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
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Idolaters will not inherit the kingdom of God. If we practice "idolatry" we will not inherit the kingdom of God.
It is important for us to understand what idolatry means.
It is important for us to understand what idolatry means.
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Idolatry is the setting up of something in the New Testament church, which seems to have religious meaning, when that object is not set forth by God in the New Testament Bible.
Begin with the calling of minister's "Reverend."
There is no place in the Bible, in the Old or New Testaments, where any human was called "Reverend", nor is there any person in the Old or New Testaments where any man called himself "Reverend."
Man added this to the church.
Humans today bow down to this "idol" in their churches as they humbly and proudly call their ministers, "Reverend."
This is the practice of idolatry today in the New Testament church.
We will not inherit the kingdom of God if we do these things. So we must stop doing this if we are doing this!
If you do a search of your Bible, using the word "reverend", what do you find?
This word, "reverend" is used one time in the Bible.
Psalm 111:9 holy and reverend is HIS (God's) name.
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In the New Testament church, we must go by the New Testament Bible.
When
we have an example using something in the New Testament, then we do
that today in the churches. If there is no example in the New Testament
Bible, then we do not do that in the churches today.
This is critical for us.
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For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
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If a man who is called a Christian is practicing idolatry,
we put him out of the church. We do not eat with him. We do not try
to eat the Word of God with him. We do not keep company with him. We
put him away from us.
Idolatry is bowing down to anything that has been added to the Bible.
To call a man reverend is one form of idolatry in the church today.
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In approximately 2017, a man from the Philippines
contacted me and identified himself as a minister and wanted me to come
to his church group and speak to the group and to the ministers.
I told him I do not travel.
He took the writings I had done concerning the calling of minister's "Reverend", and shared this with his church group, saying they should not do this.
He told me their ministers love to call themselves "Reverend."
When he told this to their church group, they became furious with him!
They demanded that he leave their church and that he no longer be one
of their ministers. He and his wife and son lived at a house that
belonged to the church group. They gave him one week to vacate the
property.
I didn't hear from him again after that until 2019.
He sent an email telling that an earthquake had stuck their houses and
had destroyed all the houses. He asked me for money. I believe he was
speaking of the house owned by the church group that told him to leave
when he spoke truth from the Word to them.
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The practice of "idolatry" is rampant in the New Testament churches today.
If
anything has been added to the church as a form of a religious act, but
it is not in the New Testament Bible, to do that is to practice "idolatry".
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Examples of idolatry in churches today:
* lighting of candles:
You will not find this in the New Testament Bible. As I understand
the reason for doing this in those churches today who teach this and
practice this, it is connected to "faith". The people are taught the lighting of candles helps to get their prayers answered. But such is the practice of idolatry
in the NT church for it is not in the New Testament to do this, but has
been added by man to the church service as the golden calf was added in
the Old Testament.
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* mass: There is no such thing as a "mass" in the New Testament Bible, pertaining to the New Testament church.
The apostle Paul tells us what to do when we come together as the church.
I Corinthians 14:26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.
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The apostle Paul tells us what to do when we come together as the church.
I Corinthians 14:26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.
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Other idolatries in the churches:
* religious names set up in the church: In the New Testament Bible, men use the names of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher to identify themselves to the church. There is no such thing as pope, cardinal, minister of music, in the NT Bible. If
we call these humans by these names in the church and if we go along
with this, which is not in the New Testament Bible, then we practice
idolatry in the church.
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* crossing yourself: This is not in the New Testament Bible but has been added by humans to the church. It is a type of religious superstition. We often see football players cross themselves "for luck" before they try to kick a field goal or an extra point. When they miss, as they often do after crossing themselves, then what? Or does anyone consider this?
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* crossing yourself with "holy water": There is no such thing as "holy water" in the New Testament Bible. Man added this to the church and to do this would be to practice "idolatry" since this is not in the New Testament Bible for the New Testament church.
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* taking of crackers and grape juice while calling this "The Lord's Supper": The Lord's supper pertains to the eating and drinking of the Word of God and to do this appropriately has great power. And we judge ourselves as we read the New Testament Bible and make adjustments to our lives accordingly.
We cannot judge ourselves or examine ourselves by crackers and grape
juice. To continue to do this is to practice a form of idolatry.
Almost every Christian type church group today uses crackers and grape
juice and calls this "communion", "The Lord's Supper." We cannot commune with God through crackers and grape juice. We commune with God through the Word of God. To try to do such with crackers/grape juice, is a form of "idolatry", misusing the scriptures and viewing scriptures through fleshly eyes.
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* bowing down to and praying to graven images: To set up a "religious" type image in your church building or in your home and to bow down before that image to pray to or to use for another religious purpose, such as for protection, is a sin against God.
Leviticus 26:1 God says: Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the Lord your God.
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* Crosses and pendants symbolic of religion: This is often shown in today's movies to portray the person as godly or as connecting with God. But we, of the New Covenant, worship God in spirit and in truth. We do not worship those things we can see with our natural eye, but rather we worship in spirit for God is a spirit.
John 4:23-24 Jesus says: the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship HIM. God is a Spirit: and they that worship HIM must worship HIM in spirit and in truth.
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* bowing down to and praying to graven images: To set up a "religious" type image in your church building or in your home and to bow down before that image to pray to or to use for another religious purpose, such as for protection, is a sin against God.
Leviticus 26:1 God says: Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the Lord your God.
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* Crosses and pendants symbolic of religion: This is often shown in today's movies to portray the person as godly or as connecting with God. But we, of the New Covenant, worship God in spirit and in truth. We do not worship those things we can see with our natural eye, but rather we worship in spirit for God is a spirit.
John 4:23-24 Jesus says: the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship HIM. God is a Spirit: and they that worship HIM must worship HIM in spirit and in truth.
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* Confessing your sins to a religious "authority" on this present earth: We confess our sins directly to God in the New Testament church.
* Confessing your sins to a religious "authority" on this present earth: We confess our sins directly to God in the New Testament church.
I Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
John 14:6 Jesus says: I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by ME.
I John 1:9 If we confess our sins, HE (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
The only one who can forgive our sins and cleanse us of our sins is God. No man can do this. To confess sins to a man thinking he can forgive our sins is blasphemy against God.
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* doing penance for sins:
The blood of Jesus is our penance for sins. To think we can pay for
our sins any way other than by faith in the blood of Jesus and to set up
some type of penance for sins is to set up an idol in the church. If you do some form of penance for your sins, you are practicing idolatry.
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* praying to dead people: In the New Testament church, we do not pray to dead people. We pray to God who is all powerful and watches over the church. Dead people are asleep. Dead people cannot answer our prayer nor can they watch over us, for they are asleep. Jesus clearly stated the dead are asleep when HE spoke of Lazarus. (John 11) Also Paul refers to them "who are asleep" as he speaks of dead people. (I Thessalonians 4:13)
My cousin was telling me of decorating her husband's grave with flowers. I said to her: "Who are you trying to impress. Thurman is asleep and doesn't know you are doing this. So who are you trying to impress?"
My cousin grew quiet for a moment as she thought about what I was saying. And then she replied: "Then it really doesn't matter where we are buried."
"That's right!" I replied.
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Jesus says: Matthew 24:8-12 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. 9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. 10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
But
he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever
shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself
shall be exalted.
Paul identifies himself to the church:
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Paul identifies himself to the church:
Paul wrote several letters to the churches which are in our New Testament Bible, chosen by God, inspired by God.
In the first verse of most of his epistles, Paul identifies the office to which he is called by Jesus and set into the ministry of the body of Christ, the New Testament church.
Romans 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
I Corinthians 1:1 Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God,
Galatians 1:1 Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised HIM from the dead;)
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Peter identified himself in his epistles of the New Testament in the first verses of his letters to the churches:
I Peter 1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
II Peter 1:1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
Other ministers identified to the church in the New Testament Bible:
I Peter 1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
II Peter 1:1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
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Other ministers identified to the church in the New Testament Bible:
Agabus and Silas: prophets
Phillip: evangelist
Acts 13:1 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers;
as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene,
and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
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After Jesus arose from the crucifixion and death, HE gave ministries to the NEW Testament church as follows:
Ephesians 4:8; 11-14 When HE ascended up on high, HE led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men ... HE gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the
edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the
faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto
the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth
be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every
wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby
they lie in wait to deceive;
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Concerning idolaters:
Revelation 22:14-15 Blessed are they that do HIS commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
So if you are practicing some form of idolatry in the church, stop doing this and repent.
Revelation 22:14-15 Blessed are they that do HIS commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
So if you are practicing some form of idolatry in the church, stop doing this and repent.
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