Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
To set up anything not specified by God to use in a religious way is the practice of idolatry.
Old Testament examples of idolatry:
Exodus 32:1 And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot (know) not what is become of him.
7-8 And the Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
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Numbers 25:1-2 And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.
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Judges 6:25 And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it:
In the Old Testament, the other nations had images of their gods. The children of God had no images of their God though HE had shown HIMSELF to them many times by HIS marvels.
God was very much against the graven images set by the people of other nations.
Deuteronomy 7:5 But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire.
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Today, the practice of idolatry in the churches is to set up that which is not specified by God for worship in the New Testament church.
If it is not in the New Testament Bible and has been set up by man, it is a form of idolatry in the church.
Idolatrous practices in today's churches:
* Wooden or stone images and teaching the people to bow down to such and to pray to such.
* Displaying on walls of homes and church building the photo of a long haired man in robes to represent what is considered to be a physical image of Jesus.
* Prayers to dead people, such as to Mary or other dead people thought to have special powers, such as power to protect in travel. (Dead people cannot watch over you or help you. Pray to God, the real power.)
* Lighting of candles in religious settings. (not in Bible)
* Crossing oneself with "holy water", (no such thing as "holy water" in New Testament Bible)
* Displaying crosses in homes or church building: no instruction in New Testament Bible
* Wearing crosses on your body to make people think yourself to be religious.
* Religious garments: (no such thing in New Testament Bible)
* Any other religious display which can be seen by the eyes of men.
Jesus says: John 4:23-24 But 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.
Fleshly ways of worshipping God would be to set up something in the religious service which one can see by the natural eye.
But to observe any form of worship which is not specified by God in the New Testament Bible is practicing idolatry.
New Testament scriptures concerning idolatry:
* I Corinthians 10:14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
* Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft (superstitions), hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
* 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, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
* I Corinthians 5:11-13 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?
We do not judge the world, them that are "without" the church ... But we are to judge them that are "within", within the church.
But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
We do not judge the world, them that are "without" the church ... But we are to judge them that are "within", within the church.
But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
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One of the more idolatrous acts in the churches today is the eating of crackers and drinking of grape juice while calling this "communion" or "The Lord's supper."
Man with fleshly eyes saw such things as I Corinthians 11 and set up the eating of crackers and drinking of grape juice, thinking this to be representative of that section of scripture.
But the Lord's supper, or communion, is the partaking of the Word of God.
28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
How do we examine ourselves. We cannot in any way examine ourselves by crackers and grape juice. But we can examine ourselves when we read the Bible or hear the Word of God.
Paul is telling us the Lord's supper is the eating and drinking of the Word of God.
That is our communion with God. We cannot commune with God through crackers and grape juice.
And if one insists on fleshly communion, why not use what Jesus spoke of: bread & wine
But bread and wine is only symbolic of the real thing which is the Word of God who is Jesus.
29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep (die).
29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep (die).
31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
We judge ourselves by the Word of God, properly applying that WORD to our lives.
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John 6
32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is HE which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34 Then said they unto HIM, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
The Word, Jesus, is the bread of life.
36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. 37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of HIM that sent me. 39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which HE hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 40 And this is the will of HIM that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. 41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. 42 And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? 43 Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. 44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father (from the Father), cometh unto me. 46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. 47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. 48 I am that bread of life. 49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. 52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? 53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
The Word, Jesus, is the bread of life.
36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. 37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of HIM that sent me. 39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which HE hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 40 And this is the will of HIM that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. 41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. 42 And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? 43 Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. 44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father (from the Father), cometh unto me. 46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. 47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. 48 I am that bread of life. 49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. 52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? 53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. 59 These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
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John 15:1-7 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit HE taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, HE purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
Remove those religious idols from you and follow the Word of God.
Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
Abide in that word which God has spoken.
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All things added by man to the church service, when it is not in the New Testament Bible, are idols.
Remove those religious idols from you and follow the Word of God.
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New Book:
"My God would never do that !"
? Really ?
Volume 1: Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph
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