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What The Bible Teaches About These Five Church Practices

This piece may be hard for dogmatic Christians to digest, largely because they, as dogmatic as they are, have never been encouraged to think on their own and in turn, find out the truth concerning some of the practices I'm about to mention. Therefore, I apologize to anyone who feels slighted or angry at any/every part of my write up which I consider a "hardball". Please be open minded as you take your time to read through this piece.

1. Statues, Symbol of Christ/Mary in Churches is a sin:
God, through Exo 20:3-6 makes His intention known.
"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me."
If you attend a church where symbols, statues of Christ, Mary or Angels are mounted within its premises or you have one at home, then know you're on your own. Christ never commanded this and every action put up in the Old Testament concerning this was purely condemned. You have no business with that statue! (Also read: 1 John 5:21; 1 Cor 10:14). If you have a cross, statue, rosary or image depicting Christ in your home or church, then you are in the congregation of the dead.


2. The Worship of Mary:
The worship or "honour" accorded to Mary by some within the Christian fold is nothing but a misleading. Mary WAS a fortunate vessel used by God to birth Christ. She was a virgin at the time, just like most ladies of then. God could have used anyone. In short, God used anyone and that person was Mary. The Worship of Mary or mentioning her during prayer is a sin. Why? Christ gave a template fro prayer through the Lord's prayer. Mary went on to birth several other children through sexual form with Joseph.

“The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the QUEEN OF HEAVEN...that they may provoke me to anger” —Jeremiah 7:18

Notice the Halo around Mary (especially her head). That is an idolatrous practice of Christians which symbolizes deity (that she is equal with God). The Babylonians practiced the same idolatrous worship to the Queen of Heaven. Mary is NOT deity, she was a normal every-day woman. God makes CLEAR in His Word that He will NOT share His glory with another (that includes Mary).
http://ift.tt/1pgyfnt

3. Church Marriage:
This is perhaps a practice Christ would never be happy with. Why? The church from the onset has no right joining a couple together. Never!
"He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from the Lord. - Proverb 18:22"
When a man and a woman agrees to marry, as far as they have sought both parents' consent, then they have God's favour and not the church's. Unfortunately, most churches prioritize this practice even more than the traditional wedding which started with Abraham's family in the Old Testament
Then he loaded ten of Abraham’s camels with all kinds of expensive gifts from his master, and he traveled to distant Aram-naharaim. There he went to the town where Abraham’s brother Nahor had settled. 11 He made the camels kneel beside a well just outside the town. It was evening, and the women were coming out to draw water... Then the servant brought out gold and silver jewelry and articles of clothing and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave costly gifts to her brother and to her mother. - Genesis 24: 10 and 53
. Most ladies even live for the moment of church wedding without realizing the practice is wrong. Does it not baffle us as Christians that the wedding at Cana Christ attended was neither conducted in a temple or on a religious ground? Does it not speak volume, that despite being Christ, He did not lay any example as to how weddings should be conducted in the Scripture? Western wedding tradition has crept into the Nigerian church and our pastors are even outdoing those who started it. Amazing!
http://ift.tt/1pgyfnv

4. Christmas:
Ah... Everyone loves this season. Who doesn't? Everyone feels it and breathes it when it is near. Unfortunately, the origin of December 25 is idolatry. Christ was never born on the 25th of December. Christ said,
“But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matt. 15:9)
. Christmas is not a command of God—it is a tradition of men. Christ continued,
“Full well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition” (Mark 7:9)
. Every year, throughout the world, on December 25th, hundreds of millions do just that! Read more on the origin of Christmas here: http://ift.tt/1Ht24nb

5. Tithe:
At this point, I know many will come for me. Therefore, this may be longer to drive my point home. Tithing started with Jacob and not on God's instruction, contrary to the belief of many people.
20 Then Jacob made this vow: “If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey, and if he will provide me with food and clothing, 21 and if I return safely to my father’s home, then the Lord will certainly be my God. 22 And this memorial pillar I have set up will become a place for worshiping God, and I will present to God a tenth of everything he gives me.” - Genesis 28:20-22.
Voila! And it started. But what was the original tithing system before the popular Malachi 3:10 method.

22 Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year. 23 And thou shalt eat before the Lord thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the Lord thy God always. 24 And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the Lord thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the Lord thy God hath blessed thee: 25 Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose: 26 And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the Lord thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household: 26 And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the Lord thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household,


The passage above was the proper way of tithing; use your money to buy what your soul lust after and eat before God. Why pastors don't preach this, I don't know. Greed, perhaps. Christ while on earth in human form taught man all he needed to know about God's worship and living with fellow men. From prayer, to fasting, to offering, to giving, to sacrificing, etc. What did He say about tithing? Nothing! What did the Apostles teach about tithing? Nothing! As a matter of fact, Christ paid tax to an earthly government, prayed, fasted, gave, sacrificed and so on, but did He pay tithe at all? No!
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. - Hebrews 12:2


I know many will claim "we operate both the Old and the New Testament". If this is true, how come we don't practice some of the commandments in in Leviticus 15

1. As the Old Testament practice, a woman with her monthly flow MUST not come near the Temple because she's unclean. Do churches examine this? NO! Save a few (white garments).
2. When a woman is caught in the act of adultery, the Old Testament practice was instant killing by stoning her to death. Does it happen in Christianity today? No! If we operate both Testaments, how come we cannot carry out this act? Simple! Because Christ demonstrated the perfect example - forgiveness. Under Christ, some Old practices were abolished, including tithing which is an Old Testament practice to the then Israel. It is hypocrisy to pick some parts of the Scripture that suits you and dump the rest.

There, you know which is which. Which should be abolished and which should be done away with. Happy Sunday wink

from Nairaland http://ift.tt/1pnoAvY This piece may be hard for dogmatic Christians to digest, largely because they, as dogmatic as they are, have never been encouraged to think on their own and in turn, find out the truth concerning some of the practices I'm about to mention. Therefore, I apologize to anyone who feels slighted or angry at any/every part of my write up which I consider a "hardball". Please be open minded as you take your time to read through this piece.

1. Statues, Symbol of Christ/Mary in Churches is a sin:
God, through Exo 20:3-6 makes His intention known.
"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me."
If you attend a church where symbols, statues of Christ, Mary or Angels are mounted within its premises or you have one at home, then know you're on your own. Christ never commanded this and every action put up in the Old Testament concerning this was purely condemned. You have no business with that statue! (Also read: 1 John 5:21; 1 Cor 10:14). If you have a cross, statue, rosary or image depicting Christ in your home or church, then you are in the congregation of the dead.


2. The Worship of Mary:
The worship or "honour" accorded to Mary by some within the Christian fold is nothing but a misleading. Mary WAS a fortunate vessel used by God to birth Christ. She was a virgin at the time, just like most ladies of then. God could have used anyone. In short, God used anyone and that person was Mary. The Worship of Mary or mentioning her during prayer is a sin. Why? Christ gave a template fro prayer through the Lord's prayer. Mary went on to birth several other children through sexual form with Joseph.

“The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the QUEEN OF HEAVEN...that they may provoke me to anger” —Jeremiah 7:18

Notice the Halo around Mary (especially her head). That is an idolatrous practice of Christians which symbolizes deity (that she is equal with God). The Babylonians practiced the same idolatrous worship to the Queen of Heaven. Mary is NOT deity, she was a normal every-day woman. God makes CLEAR in His Word that He will NOT share His glory with another (that includes Mary).
http://ift.tt/1pgyfnt

3. Church Marriage:
This is perhaps a practice Christ would never be happy with. Why? The church from the onset has no right joining a couple together. Never!
"He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from the Lord. - Proverb 18:22"
When a man and a woman agrees to marry, as far as they have sought both parents' consent, then they have God's favour and not the church's. Unfortunately, most churches prioritize this practice even more than the traditional wedding which started with Abraham's family in the Old Testament
Then he loaded ten of Abraham’s camels with all kinds of expensive gifts from his master, and he traveled to distant Aram-naharaim. There he went to the town where Abraham’s brother Nahor had settled. 11 He made the camels kneel beside a well just outside the town. It was evening, and the women were coming out to draw water... Then the servant brought out gold and silver jewelry and articles of clothing and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave costly gifts to her brother and to her mother. - Genesis 24: 10 and 53
. Most ladies even live for the moment of church wedding without realizing the practice is wrong. Does it not baffle us as Christians that the wedding at Cana Christ attended was neither conducted in a temple or on a religious ground? Does it not speak volume, that despite being Christ, He did not lay any example as to how weddings should be conducted in the Scripture? Western wedding tradition has crept into the Nigerian church and our pastors are even outdoing those who started it. Amazing!
http://ift.tt/1pgyfnv

4. Christmas:
Ah... Everyone loves this season. Who doesn't? Everyone feels it and breathes it when it is near. Unfortunately, the origin of December 25 is idolatry. Christ was never born on the 25th of December. Christ said,
“But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matt. 15:9)
. Christmas is not a command of God—it is a tradition of men. Christ continued,
“Full well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition” (Mark 7:9)
. Every year, throughout the world, on December 25th, hundreds of millions do just that! Read more on the origin of Christmas here: http://ift.tt/1Ht24nb

5. Tithe:
At this point, I know many will come for me. Therefore, this may be longer to drive my point home. Tithing started with Jacob and not on God's instruction, contrary to the belief of many people.
20 Then Jacob made this vow: “If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey, and if he will provide me with food and clothing, 21 and if I return safely to my father’s home, then the Lord will certainly be my God. 22 And this memorial pillar I have set up will become a place for worshiping God, and I will present to God a tenth of everything he gives me.” - Genesis 28:20-22.
Voila! And it started. But what was the original tithing system before the popular Malachi 3:10 method.

22 Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year. 23 And thou shalt eat before the Lord thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the Lord thy God always. 24 And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the Lord thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the Lord thy God hath blessed thee: 25 Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose: 26 And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the Lord thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household: 26 And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the Lord thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household,


The passage above was the proper way of tithing; use your money to buy what your soul lust after and eat before God. Why pastors don't preach this, I don't know. Greed, perhaps. Christ while on earth in human form taught man all he needed to know about God's worship and living with fellow men. From prayer, to fasting, to offering, to giving, to sacrificing, etc. What did He say about tithing? Nothing! What did the Apostles teach about tithing? Nothing! As a matter of fact, Christ paid tax to an earthly government, prayed, fasted, gave, sacrificed and so on, but did He pay tithe at all? No!
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. - Hebrews 12:2


I know many will claim "we operate both the Old and the New Testament". If this is true, how come we don't practice some of the commandments in in Leviticus 15

1. As the Old Testament practice, a woman with her monthly flow MUST not come near the Temple because she's unclean. Do churches examine this? NO! Save a few (white garments).
2. When a woman is caught in the act of adultery, the Old Testament practice was instant killing by stoning her to death. Does it happen in Christianity today? No! If we operate both Testaments, how come we cannot carry out this act? Simple! Because Christ demonstrated the perfect example - forgiveness. Under Christ, some Old practices were abolished, including tithing which is an Old Testament practice to the then Israel. It is hypocrisy to pick some parts of the Scripture that suits you and dump the rest.

There, you know which is which. Which should be abolished and which should be done away with. Happy Sunday wink
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What The Bible Teaches About These Five Church Practices What The Bible Teaches About These Five Church Practices Reviewed by Michael on Sunday, March 13, 2016 Rating: 5

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