”Idols” being followed in today’s churches

Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ... 

 

Through the past decades, men in churches have set up things for their church people to do, that are not prescribed in the Bible, to make the church member feel "religious" or to give that church member an object whereby he can pray "in faith."  They light candles, or cross themselves, or wear crosses around their necks or use medallions to conjure protection or to bring "luck".  None of these things are in the New Testament Bible and the setting up of these are to set up "idols" in the church.

 

If you practice "idolatry" the apostle Paul says:  "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."  (I Cor. 6)

 

*****

 

Acts 20:28-30  The apostle Paul says to the elders of the church at Ephesus:

 

Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which HE hath purchased with HIS own blood.

 

29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

 

30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

 

***

 

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.

 

24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship HIM must worship HIM in spirit and in truth.

 

***

 

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... Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

 

***

 

Acts 14:15-16   Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:  Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.

 

***

 

But at the judgement seat of Christ, we will be judged according to that which we do on this earth and we will suffer great loss if that which we do in not commanded in the New Testament Bible.

 

II Corinthians 5:9-11 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

 

11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men;

 

***

 

Idols practiced in today's churches:  Not in the New Testament Bible

 

* Crossing yourselves
* Lighting candles with prayer, or any other time as a part of religion
* "Holy" water to cross yourselves
* Wearing crosses or  "religious"  medallions
* Praying to anyone other than God
* Calling crackers & grape juice "The Lord's Supper"  (The Lord's supper is partaking of the Word of God.)
* Christmas has become an idol greatly observed:  Not in Bible to do this at all.  Easter is not in Bible to observe this.  (Unger:  Easter was added to the church by men in 8th century.  Easter was taken from the pagan goddess of spring.)  In Acts 12, the word Easter means " The Passover".  Lent:  Jesus paid sacrifice for us in today's church.  To pay your own sacrifice by stopping doing something at "Lent" is an abomination and denies the sacrifice paid by Jesus with HIS own blood.
* Graven images:  Setting up statues in the church building and kneeling before statues in religious ceremonies
* Music: when used as entertainment in the church

 

***

 

Holy water:  In Old Testament there was a "bitter water" which was used by the priests to examine a wife who was suspected of adultery.  If she drank this water, and her stomach swelled, she was guilty of adultery.  But if she drank this water and there was no swelling of her stomach, she was acquitted of adultery.

 

Numbers 5:17-22   And the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel; and of the dust that is in the floor of the tabernacle the priest shall take, and put it into the water: And the priest shall set the woman before the Lord, and uncover the woman's head, and put the offering of memorial in her hands, which is the jealousy offering: and the priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that causeth the curse: And the priest shall charge her by an oath, and say unto the woman, If no man have lain with thee, and if thou hast not gone aside to uncleanness with another instead of thy husband, be thou free from this bitter water that causeth the curse:

 

20 But if thou hast gone aside to another instead of thy husband, and if thou be defiled, and some man have lain with thee beside thine husband:

 

21 Then the priest shall charge the woman with an oath of cursing, and the priest shall say unto the woman, The Lord make thee a curse and an oath among thy people, when the Lord doth make thy thigh to rot, and thy belly to swell;

 

22 And this water that causeth the curse shall go into thy bowels, to make thy belly to swell, and thy thigh to rot: And the woman shall say, Amen, amen.

 

There is no such thing as "holy water" in the New Testament Bible.

 

***

 

If we add anything to religious practices which is not in Bible we are in danger of being taken out of the book of life.

 

If we remove anything from Bible, we are in danger of being removed from the book of life.

 

Practicing idolatry in religious ways is a very serious matter.

*****

 

* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog