Expert: Dr Don Howe - 5/19/2009

Question
QUESTION: I'm sure and know that the world was created by God, even through there have been many discussions between Science and the Bible. so my question is, what do you think of all these so called religions, do you know which one is the right one?

ANSWER:
   Ron, thank you for your question. There is no religion that is right in the eyes of God. No not one. All religions are the creation of man and not God, and all men have fallen short of the Glory of God. In fact God hates religion. It was God who gave us the Ten Commandments, but it was man who put made up 613 rabbinical add-ons to the Law.          There has never been anymore “religious” people than the Pharisees and Jesus said more harsh words to these religious fakers and phonies. Why? Because he exposed them for what they were which was pious religious fakers who like to sit in the “seat of Moses” (Matt. 23:2) and lord over the people looking like they were super religious. But Jesus said they were like dead man’s bones, they were concerned only with the looks outside the cup (so people in Jerusalem would kiss their shoes)  and they were not concerned of what was inside the cup of man’s heart, and they  “have omitted the weightier [matters] of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith
(Matt. 23:23). Read the entire Matthew 23 and the 7 woes against the Pharisees, and you will see Jesus hit them hard.
  Some of your Protestant religions and Catholism have some good doctrine and bad doctrine. This is why you need to know your Bible and be able to rightly divide the Word of Truth and you can pick out these false doctrines. Then there are some religions that are completely nothing but cults and false.
  Go to www.religionnewsblog.com and you can read about these false religions.
  So do not put your faith in religions, in man, in doctrines, in the stupid man that sits in the black cage and says “I forgive you my son,” or some religious faker or phony. Just make sure that you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior and have a personal relationship with him. If you do this you will never care anything about religions. But know your Bible, study to “make yourself approved rightly dividing the Word of truth,” and you will be able to pick out the counterfeit religions. This is what the people in the FBI, IRS, Treasury Dept, and your local bank teller do when it comes to counterfeit money. They do not study the false; they study the real money and then they can always pick out the counterfeit money. So it is with religion. You study the real truth in God’s Word and you can pick out counterfeit religions, cults, and false doctrine;  just like the teller can pick out a counterfeit three dollar bill.

Blessings.

Dr Don Howe, RN, PhD, ThD.   


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello Dr. Howe,

This part of accepting the Bible as pure word of God and follow it, is exact and true, but the same Bible says, we have to gather, action which include to go to Church and participate with others...Now why would I participate with others when I know clearly that they are not sincere to the Lord?

Answer
Ron, thank you for your follow up question. You have really answered your own question. You stated “This part of accepting the Bible as pure word of God and follow it, is exact and true, but the same Bible says, we have to gather, action which include to go to Church and participate with others.” If you accept the Bible as being true and inspired Word of God, then you will do what the Bible say. This is the answer of the second part of your question. We go to church to Worship Almighty God because His Word say to. Nor is it our place to questions the precepts that God has said in His Word, but our responsibility is to do what his Word says and live our lives having a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus.
  Man is not an island to himself. If God’s Word says we are come together with fellow believers to Worship God, then we come to God to Worship and it not our place to question His motives or other believers. Again, we are to “participate with others” in corporate worship because God’s word says to do it. But Ron, it not your place to be judging others “when I know clearly that they are not sincere to the Lord?” How do you know they are not sincere? The bigger question is How do you know that you are sincere? When you question the motives of others in their relationship with God and when they come to Church to worship as not being sincere, you are exhibiting the same insincere motives that you are accusing other of. Ron, you are being judgmental and pharisaical. That is not your place. That is God’s place. The only thing you need to do is follow God’s Word, do His precepts that are stated in His Word to live a life in goodness of His mercy, and worry about your own reasons and motives about worshipping God.  

  See Ron, people think that they are suppose to come to Church to GET SOMETHING OUT OF THE WORSHIP EXPERIENCE. They think they are suppose to get excited by having great inspirational music, get a spiritual high from the loud music,  to be entertained by a witty Pastor, to be entertained by hearing funny stories or sayings, and maybe learn some beneficial lesson about life in Sunday School.
  But IT IS NOT WHAT YOU GET OUT OF THE WORSHIP EXPERIENCE THAT IS IMPORTANT, IT IS WHAT YOU B-R-I-N-G TO THE HOUSE OF GOD ON SUNDAY THAT IS IMPORTANT. Here is few of the thing we are to bring: 1) We are to bring a merry heart that loves God and wants to sing Praises to Him what His Son did on the Cross for us (this is opposite of expecting to get jazzed up by loud inspirational music), 2) we are to bring our tithes and offerings to House of Worship willingly (We are not to be expecting that someone else is going to give tithes and you do not have to), 3) We are to bring an open mind that wants to hear about the what God’s word has to say to them (do not expect to be entertained by some fancy talking preacher), 4) and we are to be concerned about our own relationship with Jesus and bring our heartaches, forgiveness issues, and other heart issues and lay it before the Cross, leave it, and be transformed in our heart and mind (AND  NOT BE CONCERNED IF OTHERS ARE SINCERE IN THE LORD OR NOT). Your are only be concerned about your worship experience and relationship with God, and not be concerned about if others are sincere are not. That is God’s place and not yours.
  God brought this very example to us in Luke 18:10-14. 18:10 states “Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.” Two men came to the temple to worship God. One was a Pharisee (who thought his job to judge if others are sincere in the Lord or not) who came to pray to put on a show for others about how pious and proper he was. The other was a publican, a tax collector and that was despised in Jerusalem, who brought to the temple to pray a heavy heart (not expecting to get anything out the worship experience as mentioned above) to worship God for himself only.
  Lk 18:11 states “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men [are], extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.” The Pharisee is judging if others are sincere in Lord just as you have exhibited by what you said “I know clearly that they are not sincere to the Lord?”
  Lk. 18:12 states “fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.” The Pharisee is telling God see how good I look because I fast two times a week and I give tithes of that I posses. Note the word “I possess” but really it is God who possess all things not this Pharisee.
  Lk. 18:13 states “And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as [his] eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.” The publican would not lift his eyes to heaven because he was humbling himself before the throne of God, he beat his breast, and asking God to be merciful to him.
  Lk. 18:14 is where the rubber hits the road “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified [rather] than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” The publican was justified. Justified in the Greek is dikaioō which means to render righteous or such he ought to be. So the publican was rendered righteous by God. And the Pharisee exalted himself and he was abased. Abased is tapeinoō which means to  be ranked below others who are honoured or rewarded. The Pharisee was abased or ranked lower than then the publican because he exalted himself better than others (same as judging if others are sincere in the Lord or not).

  The Pharisee expecting from his worship and not what he brought to the worship experience. He was expecting favor from God because of his self-righteous attitude that he was better than everyone else, he fasted twice a wk, and gave tithes he was better than everyone else. He also prayed to himself to separate himself from others who he thought was low life scum.
  The publican brought  to the worship experience a sincere humbling heart that would not lift his eyes to Heaven, beat his breast, and he brought a merciful spirit looking for God’s mercy and forgiveness, which something we all should bring when we worship God.
  There are many, many verses in the Bible that we are to worship God. John 4:23 tells us we as “true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.”
  Ron, you are expected to participate in worship because God says to in His Word, and if you believe God’s Word is inspired and true then you will be obedient to what His Word says about believers coming together to worship. No problem. It is not your job to be judging other motives for coming to worship if they are sincere are not, that is God’s job, but make sure what you bring to the worship experience is a humbling and merciful spirit like the publican.

  Thank you for your question. This something we all need to remember.

Blessings to you today.

Dr Don Howe, RN, PhD, ThD