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Is it possible to be both a Freemason and a Christian?
Mar 22, 2022 19:30:57   #
Zemirah Loc: Sojourner En Route...
 
Is it possible to be both a Freemason and a Christian? The question is really if it’s possible to be a member of two juxtaposed, contradictory and competing religions at the same time. The answer is NO.

Christians step out of the light and reject spiritual truth, when they bind themselves by an oath of allegiance to enter into the false religion of the Masonic Lodge, for it is "another gospel." For those Christian Masons who doubt they have stepped out of Christianity, the great 33rd degree Masonic author and occultist, Albert Pike (b.1809-d.1891) wrote: “Every Masonic Lodge is a Temple of Religion; and its teachings are instruction in religion” (Morals and Dogma, pg. 213), whereas the Bible says: "Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them." (Ephesians 5:11)

As a group they are officially known as the ‘Free and Accepted Masons,’ sometimes called the ‘Ancient Free and Accepted Masons.’ Most often they’re referred to simply as ‘Freemasons,’ ‘Masons,’ or the Masonic Lodge. One irreconcilable difference between Freemasonry and Christianity is that Christianity holds that Jesus is the source of everything that is created, and of all Holy Scripture that is written (Colossians 1:16, John 1:3), while Masonry teaches that He is nothing exceptional, – equal only to other pagan idols/gods such as Islam's Allah, Hindu's Krishna, and the Tibetan Buddhist Dalai Lama - steeped in the godless meditations of the Atheist, Buddha.

Is it compatible with Christianity? The short answer is no. The long answer is no, absolutely not. And here are five reasons why:

Freemasonry is a hidden fraternal order, and defined by them as a system of morality. The first three steps are the Blue Lodge, beyond which most members never venture. The first degree is called Entered Apprentice. The second degree is called Fellow Craft. The Third degree is called Master Mason.
Most men only go to the third degree, but if one chooses, he may advance either through the York Rite or the Scottish Rite. The Scottish Rite has thirty-two degrees. In each degree, the Mason pledges himself to a different Egyptian deity. There is a thirty-third degree that is largely honorary, but the thirty-2nd degree gives you access to becoming a Shriner.

1.) Many Christians are unfamiliar with the practices and rituals of the Masonic Lodge where Freemasons swear oaths to secrecy. Before a candidate can become a Freemason, one must swear an oath upon initiation declaring that he is, "binding myself under no less penalty than to have my throat cut across, my tongue torn out by the roots, and my body buried in the rough sands of the sea at low water-mark, where the tide ebbs and flows twice in twenty-four hours; should I ever knowingly or willingly violate this my solemn oath and obligation as an Entered Apprentice Mason, so help me God, and keep me steadfast in the due performance of the same."

The obligation of a second degree Freemason (Fellowcraft degree): “Binding myself under no less a penalty than that of having my left breast torn open, my heart plucked out, and given as a prey to the wild beasts of the field and the fowls of the air as a prey. So help me God, and keep me steadfast in the due performance of the same.”

The obligation of a third degree Freemason (Master Mason degree): “Binding myself under no less a penalty than that of having my body severed in two, my bowels taken from thence and burned to ashes, the ashes scattered to the four winds of heaven, so that no more trace or remembrance may be had of so vile and perjured a wretch as I, should I ever knowingly or willingly violate this my solemn obligation as a Master Mason. So help me God, and keep me steadfast in the due performance of the same.”

No Christian has the right to bind himself to such wickedness. He is the Lord’s unique possession and his body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. The Bible says, “Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are Gods” (1st Corinthians 6:19-20).

Candidates for induction into the Shriners are greeted by a High Priest, who says: “By the existence of Allah and the creed of Muhammad; by the legendary sanctity of our Tabernacle at Mecca, we greet you.”

The inductees then swear on the Bible and the Qur'an (Koran), in the name of Muhammad, and invoke Masonry's gruesome penalties upon themselves:

To become a Shriner, they must then place their hand on the Muslim Qur’an (Koran) which states that Jesus did not die on a cross, and that God has no Son, and pledge themselves to the ancient Mesopotamian idol/god Allah, who never once reveals any knowledge of the true name of God (Jesus/Yeshua/Yahweh/I Am), with this oath:

“I do hereby, upon this Bible, and on the mysterious legend of the Qur'an, and its dedication to the Muhammadan faith, promise and swear and vow … that I will never reveal any secret part or portion whatsoever of the ceremonies … and now upon this sacred book, by the sincerity of a Muslim's oath, I here register this irrevocable vow … in willful violation whereof may I incur the fearful penalty of having my eyeballs pierced to the center with a three-edged blade, my feet flayed and I be forced to walk the hot sands upon the sterile shores of the Red Sea until the flaming sun shall strike me with livid plague, and may Allah, the god of Arab, Muslim and Muhammadan, the god of our fathers, support me to the entire fulfillment of the same. Amen. Amen. Amen."

With this oath, Christians swear on the Qur'an, and declare Allah to be “the god of our fathers.” From the perspective of Christianity, Shriners take the name of God in vain, and they mock their faith.

Jesus, in the Scriptures, strictly forbid this kind of oath-taking. "But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil." (Matthew 5:34-37)

2.) Freemasons practice idolatry. Freemasonry claims that it is not anti-Christian. Further, it also claims that it is not anti-“any religion,” therefore, you can be of Christian, Islamic, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Mormon, or Deist faith. Masonry, not only encourages Christians to worship God - they also encourage Muslims to worship Allah, Buddhists to worship Buddha, etc. The Bible clearly teaches that this is idolatry and that God hates it, as it is clearly written in the first two of the ten commandments.

3.) Freemasonry teaches Universalism. One of the worst affronts to the teaching of God is a denial of the exclusivity of Christ as Lord and Savior. Freemasonry teaches that all religious paths lead to the same God. They assign him a generic name that will not offend any of their non-Christian members, but should offend every Christians, for their official title for this universal god they worship, is The Great Architect of the Universe, but it fails to acknowledge him as the thrice-holy God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. For those who eventually ascend to the higher degree of the Royal Arch, the ceremony teaches to revere the idolatrous secret name for God: Jahbulon.

This is a combination of Hebrew יָהּ (Yah) ‘Yahweh’ + בּעל (bul) ‘Baal’, + אוֹן (’On) ‘On’ - a city of Egypt referencing Osiris.

Stephen Knight quoted in "The Brotherhood" and Martin Short in "Inside the Brotherhood" reveal that "Jahbulon" forms an unholy idolatrous trinity combining Yahweh, the true Biblical God, with Baal, the fertility idol/god of the Phoenicians and Celts, and with Osiris, the Egyptian idol/god of the dead.

Christians assume that Freemasonry is a Christian enterprise because in the U.S., the Bible is displayed on the Masonic altar, however, in each country outside of the U.S., the sacred writings of their most prominent religion, i.e., the Qur'an of Islam, or the revered texts of Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Zoroastrianism, or Jainism will be on display on the Masonic altar.

Following is an excerpt from a Masonic candidates guide-book, it states,

"The central piece of furniture in the lodge is the altar. The altar is symbolic of many things. As a temple symbolizes the presence of Deity, the altar symbolizes the point of contact with that Deity. Its location, in the center of the lodge, also symbolizes the place which God, or The Supreme Architect of the Universe, or TSAOTU, has in Masonry, and which He should likewise have in every Mason’s life. The candidate approaches the altar in search of light and also assumes all his Masonic obligations there. In the presence of his God and his brothers in Freemasonry, he offers himself to the service of the Supreme Architect of the Universe and to mankind in general. The altar is the point upon which life in our Masonic lodges is focused, and it should be accorded the highest respect".

"The obligation of the candidate is always to be taken on the sacred book or books of his religion, that he may deem it more solemn and binding; and therefore it was that you were asked of what religion you were. We have no other concern with your religious creed." (Albert Pike, p. 11, "Morals and Dogma").

4.) Freemasonry claims esoteric secrets. The Bible exhorts Christians to be transparent, while the Masonic lodge teachings are contrary to this biblical truth. "Jesus answered him, 'I have spoken openly to the world; I ever taught in synagogues, and in the temple, where all the Jews come together; and in secret spake I nothing.'"
(John 18:20)

Much like the ancient Mystery Religions, and New Testament Gnosticism, Freemasonry claims to have secret knowledge made available to them that "not all people are worthy of receiving, nor are they capable of understanding," Norman Crabbe writes in his "Fundamentals of Freemasonry."

5.) Freemasonry teaches works righteousness. Albert Pike, one of the grandfathers of modern Freemasonry stated,
it is '"The universal, eternal, immutable religion, such as God planted it in the heart of universal humanity. No creed has ever been long lived that was not built upon this foundation…The ministers of this religion are all Masons… Its sacrifices to God are good works… and perpetual efforts to attain to all the moral perfection of which man is capable."[/b] Pike, Albert – Morals and Dogma, pg. 219

Jesus said in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other…”

The belief that one can be a member or take part in two religions simultaneously, the Old Testament condemns as placing "strange fire upon the altar" (Leviticus 10:1). The Hebrew word translated “strange” means “unauthorized, foreign, or profane.”

It is the error of syncretism, defined by Webster’s Dictionary as the “combination of different forms of belief or practice.”
More precisely defined by Theopedia, syncretism is “the attempt to reconcile disparate, even opposing, beliefs and to meld practices of various schools of thought.”

The Holy Bible explicitly prohibits the practice of syncretism among His people in both the First and Second Commandments, and elsewhere throughout Scripture:

“You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name. “You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you, for the LORD your God in the midst of you is a jealous God; otherwise the anger of the LORD your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth” – Deuteronomy 6:13-15

This should be understood by all Christians, but what may not be understood is that Freemasonry is, in itself, a religion. And not only is it a religion, but it is a religion starkly opposed to the religion of Yahweh and Yeshua, His Christ.

Numerous Christian denominations have studied the oaths and teaching of Freemasonry and all have rejected its compatibility to Christianity. Consider these excerpts…

"The Committee’s opinion is that Masons need to be told that they cannot be at once members of the Lodge (which ignores Christ) and members of the Church (which confesses Him as Lord). At the same time, our responsibility is to do everything we can to win Masons to an undivided commitment to Jesus Christ, the Lord of the Church." – 2009 Committee Report on Secret Societies, Christian Missionary Alliance.

“Many tenets and teachings of Freemasonry are not compatible with Christianity or Southern Baptist doctrine…” – a statement made in an evaluation of the “Eight Incompatibilities” of Freemasonry with Christianity as given by the North American Mission Board (NAMB) of the Southern Baptist Convention

“There is an irreconcilable conflict between the teachings and practices of the lodge and those of biblical Christianity; therefore simultaneous membership in the lodge and in the church of Jesus Christ is incompatible with and contrary to Scripture.” – A statement by the Christian Reformed Church.

“A response to the religious teachings of lodge organizations has been implied as the above concerns have been described… the view of this evaluation, it is a compromise of the Christian confession to take part in ritual, religious acts, in the name of a generic deity, that intentionally delete the Name of the true God and Jesus Christ whom God has sent to be the only Savior of the world.” – A statement by the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod

“Is Masonry a religion? On this score the evidence is overwhelming. There is no room for any reasonable doubt as to Masonry’s being a religion. Not only do the symbols, rites and temples of this order point unmistakably to it as a religion, but a great many Masonic authors of note emphatically declare it to be just that. It is no exaggeration to assert that Masonry does most serious violence to the inscripturated Word of God and does the gravest despite to Jesus Christ, the personal Word.” – A statement by the Orthodox Presbyterian Church

“The committee finds that the evidence presented concerning the religion of Masonry permits but one conclusion. Although a number of the objections commonly brought against Masonry seem to the committee not to be weighty, yet it is driven to the conclusion that Masonry is a religious institution and as such is definitely anti-Christian.” – A statement by the Presbyterian Church of America.

The findings of the various denominations are most helpful in breadth and depth of content in their complete online statements regarding the incompatibility of Freemasonry and the Bible. (Continued)

Reply
Mar 22, 2022 19:37:43   #
Zemirah Loc: Sojourner En Route...
 
Is it possible to be both a Freemason and a Christian?

(Continued)

The Christian denominations go into great detail to explain precisely why Freemasonry is inconsistent with Christianity.

All of the statements, however, essentially acknowledge two facts in varying degrees of clarity: (1) Freemasonry is a religion and (2) Freemasonry is a different religion than Christianity. Below is the statement by the North American Mission Board (Southern Baptist Convention), which concludes…

"While it is clear that some Christians, moral persons, and outstanding government leaders have been and are members of the Freemasonic movement, several points of the lodge’s teachings are non-biblical and non-Christian. While Freemasonry encourages and supports charitable activities, it contains both multi-religious and inclusivistic teachings that ARE NOT Christian."

The other denominations strongly reject the idea of a Christian being a Mason at all, - the The SBC (Southern Baptist Convention) after initially admitting that a Christian can be a Mason, acknowledge that they would be in error in doing so.

These denominational statements do not stand alone, as the Pentecostal Assemblies of God also explicitly reject the religion of Freemasonry (as well as membership in other secret societies) in their denominational documents.

Never be amazed at the devil’s deceptive counterfeits. In the Entered Apprentice degree (the 1st degree) the Masonic candidate is informed, “I now invest you with this an apron, the distinguishing badge of an Entered Apprentice Freemason. Observe, it is made of lambskin, the emblem, from time immemorial, of purity and innocence. It has been worn with distinction throughout the ages and even Kings and Princes have not thought it beneath their dignity to exchange the sceptre for the trowel. It is more ancient than the Golden Fleece or Roman Eagle; more honorable than the Garter; or any other order which can be bestowed upon you. I exhort you to never disgrace it and you can be assured, it will never disgrace you.”

The Lodge looks upon this Lambskin White Apron with reverence and awe and lauds it as the perfect symbol of “purity and innocence.” The bestowing of this Lambskin Apron upon the Entered Apprentice candidate is to symbolically represent the character and conduct of the Mason.

Masonic historian William Harvey, in his detailed dissertation on the subject, entitled The Mason’s Apron, asserts, “The apron is the most comprehensive symbol of our faith.”

The member and his white apron are inextricably connected. It denotes righteous living, for he has become a new man – reborn a pure man, all by being inducted into the Masonic Lodge by means of ritualistic initiation... - something the Bible tells us that man can achieve only through receiving Christ and the Christian new birth via the Holy Spirit.

Man has been trying to cover his own sin in his own way (independent of God) since the very beginning of time. Genesis 3:7 says, “And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.”

Adam and Eve’s ingenious efforts showed the natural inclination of man is always to try and cover his own sin in his own way. The fact that they tried to cover themselves only served to show their personal guilt. Man has been doing the same ever since. This was unpleasing to God. It is a picture of man trying to cover his own sin by his own labors.

This is confirmed by Job in Job 31:33, when he states: “If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom.” Religious men try to create their own covering through their own works – that’s what their fig leaf apron represented in the Garden when their perfect communion with God was broken, Adam and Eve tried to cover their own sin with a bloodless covering. However, this was an offense to God and was quickly rejected.

Regardless of how the initiate feels after his initiation into the Masonic Lodge, he is still a vile helpless sinner in need of redemption. Such religious endowments as a white wool apron really symbolize man’s own self-righteousness, disobedience and his faith in his own good works, which, on the Day of Judgment, will damn to eternal hell the deluded soul who trusts in them. Rather than drawing men to God, these Masonic orders push men away from Him, teaching then to rely on their own goodness, rather than on Christ.

At the somber, dignified Masonic funeral ceremony, the Worshipful Master, holding the apron, will announce to the gathered mourners:

"The lambskin or white apron -- the first gift of Freemasonry to our departed Brother, is an emblem of innocence and the badge of a Mason. This I now deposit in the grave of our Brother. (Deposits it upon the casket) We are reminded by this of the universal dominion of death. The arm of friendship cannot interpose to prevent his coming; the wealth of the world cannot purchase exemption; nor will the innocence of youth or the charms of beauty or the serenity of age change death's purpose."

The Masonic website (quoted earlier) makes an astonishing admission whilst describing the spiritual state of its members before the Judgment of the Great White Throne. After impressing the importance of trusting in the lambskin apron for their covering for salvation, it appears to reverse itself, saying of their Judgment facing God, “Your soul, freed from earth, shall stand naked and alone before the Great White Throne.”

How profound this confession is and how tragic! Those men who are outside of Christ, will indeed stand naked and alone before the throne of God. They will lack any covering before God. They will be devoid of a friend or an advocate. All their misguided trust in the Lodge and its fraudulent assurances will be exposed on that great day. Their white Lodge aprons and robes will be seen in that day to be an irreverent hoax. They will bitterly rue the day they accepted the Masonic black lie that there was something innately righteous within themselves.

They will stand exposed, helpless and alone before the Lord of all the earth. This will be the case for every religious Mason who is outside of Christ and who has never undergone the new spiritual birth which He alone can provide.

The Christian is secure, for he will stand clothed in Christ’s righteousness, and will bow down before His Lord and Savior in love and adoration. He will depend upon what Jesus has done for him, rather than upon anything he has himself done. Judgment day is a day for the believer to anticipate with great joy, "for this corruption will take on incorruption." The believer will be clothed with an eternal body and will reside in Christ's presence for all eternity. 2nd Corinthians 5:3 says of that essential covering on that day: “inasmuch as we, having been clothed, shall not be found naked.”

Secret societies and cults convince their devotees they may depend upon their own (supposed) goodness or their own fleshly endeavors/good works to be acceptable unto God, refusing to acknowledge that these innovations are putrid in the nostrils of a thrice holy God. God quickly removed man’s self-made filthy rags in the Garden and clothed man in a covering which He provided, one which was acceptable to Him. God will decidedly strip men of all the foolish coverings they have accepted outside of Christ, and on Judgment Day expose all of them as the devil’s great and cruel hoax.

God decreed that “the blood … maketh atonement for the soul” (Leviticus 17:11). The atonement was the only possible means of salvation for sinful man. It has been the only way of salvation for man ever since. It became the example and pattern for every Old Testament sacrifice following it, notwithstanding, these sacrifices were only the imperfect shadows and figurative representations of the once-for-all sacrifice made by Christ.

They foreshadowed Christ’s one final individual all-sufficient perfect eternal sacrifice for sin as He shed His blood at Calvary. Adam and Eve accepted this covering by faith, and in doing so, were returned to their union and communion with God. Their condemnation was placed upon their substitute once for all, whereupon they were clothed with God’s righteous covering. It is exactly the same today.

Let no man, spiritual entity, or organization deceive you, for it is your eternal destiny at stake.


Resources:

Christianity and the Secret Teachings of the Masonic Lodge, Dr John Ankerberg and Dr. John Weldon
Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, by Dr. John Ankerberg
The Dark Side of Freemasonry, by Ed Decker
The Brotherhood, by Stephen Knight
Masonry. Beyond the Light, by William Schnoebelen

Reply
Mar 23, 2022 17:51:23   #
Peewee Loc: San Antonio, TX
 
Zemirah wrote:
Is it possible to be both a Freemason and a Christian?

(Continued)

The Christian denominations go into great detail to explain precisely why Freemasonry is inconsistent with Christianity.

All of the statements, however, essentially acknowledge two facts in varying degrees of clarity: (1) Freemasonry is a religion and (2) Freemasonry is a different religion than Christianity. Below is the statement by the North American Mission Board (Southern Baptist Convention), which concludes…

"While it is clear that some Christians, moral persons, and outstanding government leaders have been and are members of the Freemasonic movement, several points of the lodge’s teachings are non-biblical and non-Christian. While Freemasonry encourages and supports charitable activities, it contains both multi-religious and inclusivistic teachings that ARE NOT Christian."

The other denominations strongly reject the idea of a Christian being a Mason at all, - the The SBC (Southern Baptist Convention) after initially admitting that a Christian can be a Mason, acknowledge that they would be in error in doing so.

These denominational statements do not stand alone, as the Pentecostal Assemblies of God also explicitly reject the religion of Freemasonry (as well as membership in other secret societies) in their denominational documents.

Never be amazed at the devil’s deceptive counterfeits. In the Entered Apprentice degree (the 1st degree) the Masonic candidate is informed, “I now invest you with this an apron, the distinguishing badge of an Entered Apprentice Freemason. Observe, it is made of lambskin, the emblem, from time immemorial, of purity and innocence. It has been worn with distinction throughout the ages and even Kings and Princes have not thought it beneath their dignity to exchange the sceptre for the trowel. It is more ancient than the Golden Fleece or Roman Eagle; more honorable than the Garter; or any other order which can be bestowed upon you. I exhort you to never disgrace it and you can be assured, it will never disgrace you.”

The Lodge looks upon this Lambskin White Apron with reverence and awe and lauds it as the perfect symbol of “purity and innocence.” The bestowing of this Lambskin Apron upon the Entered Apprentice candidate is to symbolically represent the character and conduct of the Mason.

Masonic historian William Harvey, in his detailed dissertation on the subject, entitled The Mason’s Apron, asserts, “The apron is the most comprehensive symbol of our faith.”

The member and his white apron are inextricably connected. It denotes righteous living, for he has become a new man – reborn a pure man, all by being inducted into the Masonic Lodge by means of ritualistic initiation... - something the Bible tells us that man can achieve only through receiving Christ and the Christian new birth via the Holy Spirit.

Man has been trying to cover his own sin in his own way (independent of God) since the very beginning of time. Genesis 3:7 says, “And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.”

Adam and Eve’s ingenious efforts showed the natural inclination of man is always to try and cover his own sin in his own way. The fact that they tried to cover themselves only served to show their personal guilt. Man has been doing the same ever since. This was unpleasing to God. It is a picture of man trying to cover his own sin by his own labors.

This is confirmed by Job in Job 31:33, when he states: “If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom.” Religious men try to create their own covering through their own works – that’s what their fig leaf apron represented in the Garden when their perfect communion with God was broken, Adam and Eve tried to cover their own sin with a bloodless covering. However, this was an offense to God and was quickly rejected.

Regardless of how the initiate feels after his initiation into the Masonic Lodge, he is still a vile helpless sinner in need of redemption. Such religious endowments as a white wool apron really symbolize man’s own self-righteousness, disobedience and his faith in his own good works, which, on the Day of Judgment, will damn to eternal hell the deluded soul who trusts in them. Rather than drawing men to God, these Masonic orders push men away from Him, teaching then to rely on their own goodness, rather than on Christ.

At the somber, dignified Masonic funeral ceremony, the Worshipful Master, holding the apron, will announce to the gathered mourners:

"The lambskin or white apron -- the first gift of Freemasonry to our departed Brother, is an emblem of innocence and the badge of a Mason. This I now deposit in the grave of our Brother. (Deposits it upon the casket) We are reminded by this of the universal dominion of death. The arm of friendship cannot interpose to prevent his coming; the wealth of the world cannot purchase exemption; nor will the innocence of youth or the charms of beauty or the serenity of age change death's purpose."

The Masonic website (quoted earlier) makes an astonishing admission whilst describing the spiritual state of its members before the Judgment of the Great White Throne. After impressing the importance of trusting in the lambskin apron for their covering for salvation, it appears to reverse itself, saying of their Judgment facing God, “Your soul, freed from earth, shall stand naked and alone before the Great White Throne.”

How profound this confession is and how tragic! Those men who are outside of Christ, will indeed stand naked and alone before the throne of God. They will lack any covering before God. They will be devoid of a friend or an advocate. All their misguided trust in the Lodge and its fraudulent assurances will be exposed on that great day. Their white Lodge aprons and robes will be seen in that day to be an irreverent hoax. They will bitterly rue the day they accepted the Masonic black lie that there was something innately righteous within themselves.

They will stand exposed, helpless and alone before the Lord of all the earth. This will be the case for every religious Mason who is outside of Christ and who has never undergone the new spiritual birth which He alone can provide.

The Christian is secure, for he will stand clothed in Christ’s righteousness, and will bow down before His Lord and Savior in love and adoration. He will depend upon what Jesus has done for him, rather than upon anything he has himself done. Judgment day is a day for the believer to anticipate with great joy, "for this corruption will take on incorruption." The believer will be clothed with an eternal body and will reside in Christ's presence for all eternity. 2nd Corinthians 5:3 says of that essential covering on that day: “inasmuch as we, having been clothed, shall not be found naked.”

Secret societies and cults convince their devotees they may depend upon their own (supposed) goodness or their own fleshly endeavors/good works to be acceptable unto God, refusing to acknowledge that these innovations are putrid in the nostrils of a thrice holy God. God quickly removed man’s self-made filthy rags in the Garden and clothed man in a covering which He provided, one which was acceptable to Him. God will decidedly strip men of all the foolish coverings they have accepted outside of Christ, and on Judgment Day expose all of them as the devil’s great and cruel hoax.

God decreed that “the blood … maketh atonement for the soul” (Leviticus 17:11). The atonement was the only possible means of salvation for sinful man. It has been the only way of salvation for man ever since. It became the example and pattern for every Old Testament sacrifice following it, notwithstanding, these sacrifices were only the imperfect shadows and figurative representations of the once-for-all sacrifice made by Christ.

They foreshadowed Christ’s one final individual all-sufficient perfect eternal sacrifice for sin as He shed His blood at Calvary. Adam and Eve accepted this covering by faith, and in doing so, were returned to their union and communion with God. Their condemnation was placed upon their substitute once for all, whereupon they were clothed with God’s righteous covering. It is exactly the same today.

Let no man, spiritual entity, or organization deceive you, for it is your eternal destiny at stake.


Resources:

Christianity and the Secret Teachings of the Masonic Lodge, Dr John Ankerberg and Dr. John Weldon
Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, by Dr. John Ankerberg
The Dark Side of Freemasonry, by Ed Decker
The Brotherhood, by Stephen Knight
Masonry. Beyond the Light, by William Schnoebelen
Is it possible to be both a Freemason and a Christ... (show quote)


It agrees with my many hours of research on the subject. Well done, good and faithful servant! I have a Moses problem, sometimes I strike the rock twice because people irritate me, lying and whining all the time. I've never heard you whine, even once. Take everything to God in prayer. Thanks for the encouragement to always do better.

Reply
 
 
Mar 23, 2022 18:42:32   #
manning5 Loc: Richmond, VA
 
Zemirah wrote:
Is it possible to be both a Freemason and a Christian?

(Continued)

The Christian denominations go into great detail to explain precisely why Freemasonry is inconsistent with Christianity.

All of the statements, however, essentially acknowledge two facts in varying degrees of clarity: (1) Freemasonry is a religion and (2) Freemasonry is a different religion than Christianity. Below is the statement by the North American Mission Board (Southern Baptist Convention), which concludes…

"While it is clear that some Christians, moral persons, and outstanding government leaders have been and are members of the Freemasonic movement, several points of the lodge’s teachings are non-biblical and non-Christian. While Freemasonry encourages and supports charitable activities, it contains both multi-religious and inclusivistic teachings that ARE NOT Christian."

The other denominations strongly reject the idea of a Christian being a Mason at all, - the The SBC (Southern Baptist Convention) after initially admitting that a Christian can be a Mason, acknowledge that they would be in error in doing so.

These denominational statements do not stand alone, as the Pentecostal Assemblies of God also explicitly reject the religion of Freemasonry (as well as membership in other secret societies) in their denominational documents.

Never be amazed at the devil’s deceptive counterfeits. In the Entered Apprentice degree (the 1st degree) the Masonic candidate is informed, “I now invest you with this an apron, the distinguishing badge of an Entered Apprentice Freemason. Observe, it is made of lambskin, the emblem, from time immemorial, of purity and innocence. It has been worn with distinction throughout the ages and even Kings and Princes have not thought it beneath their dignity to exchange the sceptre for the trowel. It is more ancient than the Golden Fleece or Roman Eagle; more honorable than the Garter; or any other order which can be bestowed upon you. I exhort you to never disgrace it and you can be assured, it will never disgrace you.”

The Lodge looks upon this Lambskin White Apron with reverence and awe and lauds it as the perfect symbol of “purity and innocence.” The bestowing of this Lambskin Apron upon the Entered Apprentice candidate is to symbolically represent the character and conduct of the Mason.

Masonic historian William Harvey, in his detailed dissertation on the subject, entitled The Mason’s Apron, asserts, “The apron is the most comprehensive symbol of our faith.”

The member and his white apron are inextricably connected. It denotes righteous living, for he has become a new man – reborn a pure man, all by being inducted into the Masonic Lodge by means of ritualistic initiation... - something the Bible tells us that man can achieve only through receiving Christ and the Christian new birth via the Holy Spirit.

Man has been trying to cover his own sin in his own way (independent of God) since the very beginning of time. Genesis 3:7 says, “And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.”

Adam and Eve’s ingenious efforts showed the natural inclination of man is always to try and cover his own sin in his own way. The fact that they tried to cover themselves only served to show their personal guilt. Man has been doing the same ever since. This was unpleasing to God. It is a picture of man trying to cover his own sin by his own labors.

This is confirmed by Job in Job 31:33, when he states: “If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom.” Religious men try to create their own covering through their own works – that’s what their fig leaf apron represented in the Garden when their perfect communion with God was broken, Adam and Eve tried to cover their own sin with a bloodless covering. However, this was an offense to God and was quickly rejected.

Regardless of how the initiate feels after his initiation into the Masonic Lodge, he is still a vile helpless sinner in need of redemption. Such religious endowments as a white wool apron really symbolize man’s own self-righteousness, disobedience and his faith in his own good works, which, on the Day of Judgment, will damn to eternal hell the deluded soul who trusts in them. Rather than drawing men to God, these Masonic orders push men away from Him, teaching then to rely on their own goodness, rather than on Christ.

At the somber, dignified Masonic funeral ceremony, the Worshipful Master, holding the apron, will announce to the gathered mourners:

"The lambskin or white apron -- the first gift of Freemasonry to our departed Brother, is an emblem of innocence and the badge of a Mason. This I now deposit in the grave of our Brother. (Deposits it upon the casket) We are reminded by this of the universal dominion of death. The arm of friendship cannot interpose to prevent his coming; the wealth of the world cannot purchase exemption; nor will the innocence of youth or the charms of beauty or the serenity of age change death's purpose."

The Masonic website (quoted earlier) makes an astonishing admission whilst describing the spiritual state of its members before the Judgment of the Great White Throne. After impressing the importance of trusting in the lambskin apron for their covering for salvation, it appears to reverse itself, saying of their Judgment facing God, “Your soul, freed from earth, shall stand naked and alone before the Great White Throne.”

How profound this confession is and how tragic! Those men who are outside of Christ, will indeed stand naked and alone before the throne of God. They will lack any covering before God. They will be devoid of a friend or an advocate. All their misguided trust in the Lodge and its fraudulent assurances will be exposed on that great day. Their white Lodge aprons and robes will be seen in that day to be an irreverent hoax. They will bitterly rue the day they accepted the Masonic black lie that there was something innately righteous within themselves.

They will stand exposed, helpless and alone before the Lord of all the earth. This will be the case for every religious Mason who is outside of Christ and who has never undergone the new spiritual birth which He alone can provide.

The Christian is secure, for he will stand clothed in Christ’s righteousness, and will bow down before His Lord and Savior in love and adoration. He will depend upon what Jesus has done for him, rather than upon anything he has himself done. Judgment day is a day for the believer to anticipate with great joy, "for this corruption will take on incorruption." The believer will be clothed with an eternal body and will reside in Christ's presence for all eternity. 2nd Corinthians 5:3 says of that essential covering on that day: “inasmuch as we, having been clothed, shall not be found naked.”

Secret societies and cults convince their devotees they may depend upon their own (supposed) goodness or their own fleshly endeavors/good works to be acceptable unto God, refusing to acknowledge that these innovations are putrid in the nostrils of a thrice holy God. God quickly removed man’s self-made filthy rags in the Garden and clothed man in a covering which He provided, one which was acceptable to Him. God will decidedly strip men of all the foolish coverings they have accepted outside of Christ, and on Judgment Day expose all of them as the devil’s great and cruel hoax.

God decreed that “the blood … maketh atonement for the soul” (Leviticus 17:11). The atonement was the only possible means of salvation for sinful man. It has been the only way of salvation for man ever since. It became the example and pattern for every Old Testament sacrifice following it, notwithstanding, these sacrifices were only the imperfect shadows and figurative representations of the once-for-all sacrifice made by Christ.

They foreshadowed Christ’s one final individual all-sufficient perfect eternal sacrifice for sin as He shed His blood at Calvary. Adam and Eve accepted this covering by faith, and in doing so, were returned to their union and communion with God. Their condemnation was placed upon their substitute once for all, whereupon they were clothed with God’s righteous covering. It is exactly the same today.

Let no man, spiritual entity, or organization deceive you, for it is your eternal destiny at stake.


Resources:

Christianity and the Secret Teachings of the Masonic Lodge, Dr John Ankerberg and Dr. John Weldon
Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, by Dr. John Ankerberg
The Dark Side of Freemasonry, by Ed Decker
The Brotherhood, by Stephen Knight
Masonry. Beyond the Light, by William Schnoebelen
Is it possible to be both a Freemason and a Christ... (show quote)


==================================================
This is all very interesting. As a former Master Mason, 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason and a member of the Shriners, I felt duly warned again of my huge sin of the past. But I have asked Jesus to forgive my sins since discontinuing my participation in these masonic organizations some eight years ago.

I abandoned masonry for one key reason: I found it to be in conflict with my Christianity, fairly the same as Zemirah's paper states. What I had not found was replacement for the fellowship I enjoyed there, but, that has since been rectified. However, I still contribute to the Shriner's Children's Hospital program as a very worthwhile charity.

Incidentally, I found my fellow masons to be honest, loyal, patriotic, and upstanding citizens, every one. From my vantage point, these men were quite devout Christians, and did not consider Masonry to be in any way a religion, and they rather easily adopted the idea that the exaggerated group rituals and paraphernalia were simply used to bind the group together, and not to replace their Christianity. My special friends there were churchgoers. In a sense, to them, and to me, it was like joining the Boy Scouts or a college fraternity and adopting their oaths , etc., but with more purposeful goals. Nevertheless, with the advice of others, and my own research I left!

Reply
Mar 24, 2022 18:33:01   #
Zemirah Loc: Sojourner En Route...
 
Peewee wrote:
It agrees with my many hours of research on the subject. Well done, good and faithful servant! I have a Moses problem, sometimes I strike the rock twice because people irritate me, lying and whining all the time. I've never heard you whine, even once. Take everything to God in prayer. Thanks for the encouragement to always do better.


Hi Peewee,

My normal speech is intended to convey information, as is yours. Whining, a pity party (interpreted "woe is me"), would be an exercise in futility, humanity doesn't care and God doesn't want to hear it.

I didn't realize you had interest in researching the Masonic Lodge. My impetus for studying what Freemasonry is and isn't was learning that my maternal grandfather, one paternal uncle, several cousins, a cousin-in-law, as well as my younger sister's 2nd husband (He was a Worshipful Master) had all been, IMO, spiritually duped Masonic Lodge members of one degree or another.

Did your research include the veneration Freemasonry has for Nimrod, who was the 1st tyrannical dictator on earth, following Noah's flood - founder of Babylon, and (under Satanic influence) founder of all of the false anti-Biblical, anti-God religions that have taken place upon the face of the earth?

The context of Genesis chapter 10, the Jewish Targums, and the writings of the historian Josephus, all suggest that Nimrod was a mighty hunter in defiance of Yahweh.

The beginning of Nimrod’s kingdom included the cities of Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh,
all in the land of Shinar. (Genesis 10:10)

Nimrod is the direct connection between Freemasonry and the original Babylonian mystery religion from which the ancient pagan religions of Egypt, Persia (Iran), Greece and Rome eventually developed... again, that connection is Nimrod who was deified as Marduk, the king of Babylonian gods, and Babylon's patron god, called Merodach in the Bible.

The beginning of Nimrod’s kingdom included the cities of Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh,
all in the land of Shinar. (Genesis 10:10) Therefore it was under his direction that the building of Babel and its tower began.

This conclusion is also in agreement with the traditional Jewish view. Wrote Josephus: “[Nimrod] little by little transformed the state of affairs into a tyranny, holding that the only way to detach men from the fear of God was by making them continuously dependent upon his own power.

He threatened to have his revenge on God if He wished to inundate the earth again; for he would build a tower higher than the water could reach and avenge the destruction of their forefathers. The people were eager to follow this advice of Nimrod, deeming it slavery to submit to God; so they set out to build the tower... [through masonry, the laying of bricks], and it rose with a speed beyond all expectation.”—Jewish Antiquities, I, 114, 115 (iv, 2, 3).

After the building of the Tower of Babel, Nimrod extended his domain to the territory of Assyria and there built “Nineveh and Rehoboth-Ir and Calah and Resen between Nineveh and Calah: this is the great city.” (Genesis 10:11, 12; compare Micah 5:6.)

Since Assyria derived its name from Shem’s son Asshur, Nimrod, as a grandson of Ham, invaded Shemite territory. So Nimrod made the start in becoming a "mighty one" or hero, not only as a hunter of animals but also as a warrior, a man of aggression, in rebellion against God.
(Ge 10:8)

According to "Freemasonry Today" (a Masonic publication) https://gsminsider.com/freemason-ranks/ , "the Oath of Nimrod is part of the initiation process for the 'indentured apprentice'….. - (The procedure) The candidate is led into the Lodge by the Deacons, and after prayer, is investigated prior to taking the initiatory oath called the 'Oath of Nimrod.'

"This is the first ranking recruits are awarded when they are inducted into the masonic order. At this beginning stage, they study the rituals, symbols, beliefs, and history of the Masonry. A recruit’s first task is to develop a more intimate relationship with the brotherhood by understanding its role and past.

Apprentices can also learn the "language" of Freemasonry, the topics that are taboo for lodge discussions (religion, politics, etc.) and the responsibilities involved in the lodge’s daily upkeep and agenda. The first degree is meant to represent the infant to the young adult stage of a new mason’s journey.

"An apprentice, after a period of time, can be entrusted with some of the masonic secrets which they will be sworn, under pain of death, not to share outside the brotherhood. Once they have proven their ability and character, an entered apprentice may be considered for the second degree, known as Fellowcraft. They are technically not fully considered a mason until achieving this second degree.

"They are greeted as ‘brother’ and have access to certain rights and knowledge, but are still a rough ashlar, representing a rough or unprepared stone in the process of being turned into a perfect ashlar."

My initial impression was that 9/10 of the appeal is that of grown men playing "Big Boy" games with secret passwords, handshakes and code names (thank Fred Flintstone and the Water Buffaloes) , and 1/10 (especially the higher grades) the love of self deification; many Masonic Lodge rituals literally misapply titles and roles given Biblically to Jesus Christ alone, to lodge members.

Reply
Mar 25, 2022 01:01:17   #
Zemirah Loc: Sojourner En Route...
 
Manning,

It is good to know there are those within the ranks, who do eventually see.

This website is composed of former (now demited) Masons explaining the non-Biblical concepts built into Freemasonry:

http://www.ephesians5-11.org/hiram.htm

Their front page menu:

Why would you want to lead Masons away from the Masonic Lodge?

Freemasonry has a false plan of salvation and another savior.
The god of Freemasonry is not the God of the Bible.

How do we know these things to be true?

We have numerous Masonic documents which prove it.
The testimony of men who have left the Lodge to follow Jesus

How can you effectively witness to a Mason?
How you proceed depends on whether or not the man is a Christian.

Leading a Christian away from the Lodge
Leading a non-Christian away from the Lodge


Another website has the good news that Masonry's membership, worldwide, is reported to be dropping like a stone, - or a brick. Today, men are reported to have little interest in spending hours pursuing learning rituals, lectures, degree work or in traditional fundraising.

https://www.hardingfile.com/adept-or-die-on-the-decline-of-membership-in-freemasonry/


manning5 wrote:
==================================================
This is all very interesting. As a former Master Mason, 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason and a member of the Shriners, I felt duly warned again of my huge sin of the past. But I have asked Jesus to forgive my sins since discontinuing my participation in these masonic organizations some eight years ago.

I abandoned masonry for one key reason: I found it to be in conflict with my Christianity, fairly the same as Zemirah's paper states. What I had not found was replacement for the fellowship I enjoyed there, but, that has since been rectified. However, I still contribute to the Shriner's Children's Hospital program as a very worthwhile charity.

Incidentally, I found my fellow masons to be honest, loyal, patriotic, and upstanding citizens, every one. From my vantage point, these men were quite devout Christians, and did not consider Masonry to be in any way a religion, and they rather easily adopted the idea that the exaggerated group rituals and paraphernalia were simply used to bind the group together, and not to replace their Christianity. My special friends there were churchgoers. In a sense, to them, and to me, it was like joining the Boy Scouts or a college fraternity and adopting their oaths , etc., but with more purposeful goals. Nevertheless, with the advice of others, and my own research I left!
==================================================... (show quote)

Reply
Mar 25, 2022 16:35:30   #
manning5 Loc: Richmond, VA
 
Zemirah wrote:
Manning,

It is good to know there are those within the ranks, who do eventually see.

This website is composed of former (now demited) Masons explaining the non-Biblical concepts built into Freemasonry:

http://www.ephesians5-11.org/hiram.htm

Their front page menu:

Why would you want to lead Masons away from the Masonic Lodge?

Freemasonry has a false plan of salvation and another savior.
The god of Freemasonry is not the God of the Bible.

How do we know these things to be true?

We have numerous Masonic documents which prove it.
The testimony of men who have left the Lodge to follow Jesus

How can you effectively witness to a Mason?
How you proceed depends on whether or not the man is a Christian.

Leading a Christian away from the Lodge
Leading a non-Christian away from the Lodge


Another website has the good news that Masonry's membership, worldwide, is reported to be dropping like a stone, - or a brick. Today, men are reported to have little interest in spending hours pursuing learning rituals, lectures, degree work or in traditional fundraising.

https://www.hardingfile.com/adept-or-die-on-the-decline-of-membership-in-freemasonry/
Manning, br br It is good to know there are thos... (show quote)


====================
A lot of time and money went down the drain in my 7 years with the masons. The fellowship was good, but the religious aspect was not good. And the incessant acts reflecting Egyptian thoughts was a real put off too.

Reply
 
 
Apr 12, 2022 23:27:10   #
Marty 2020 Loc: Banana Republic of Kalifornia
 
manning5 wrote:
==================================================
This is all very interesting. As a former Master Mason, 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason and a member of the Shriners, I felt duly warned again of my huge sin of the past. But I have asked Jesus to forgive my sins since discontinuing my participation in these masonic organizations some eight years ago.

I abandoned masonry for one key reason: I found it to be in conflict with my Christianity, fairly the same as Zemirah's paper states. What I had not found was replacement for the fellowship I enjoyed there, but, that has since been rectified. However, I still contribute to the Shriner's Children's Hospital program as a very worthwhile charity.

Incidentally, I found my fellow masons to be honest, loyal, patriotic, and upstanding citizens, every one. From my vantage point, these men were quite devout Christians, and did not consider Masonry to be in any way a religion, and they rather easily adopted the idea that the exaggerated group rituals and paraphernalia were simply used to bind the group together, and not to replace their Christianity. My special friends there were churchgoers. In a sense, to them, and to me, it was like joining the Boy Scouts or a college fraternity and adopting their oaths , etc., but with more purposeful goals. Nevertheless, with the advice of others, and my own research I left!
==================================================... (show quote)

I too was a master mason. I joined for 2 years because my 90 year old father was a Shriner and loved to get sick and disabled kids to their hospitals. He also was a Christian, as the chaplain had the boys who wanted to, who were going to sea for the first time, come to him and commit to Jesus, just in case they were killed. They were given a New Testament and psalms, Bible. I still have it. That was 1942, in Oakland California. My dad sailed the next day for the South Pacific.
6 or 8 years ago I was taking him to church and he could sing all the hymns by heart.
He never missed a lodge meeting because he loved to visit with the guys.
I’m not sure if I can agree with the premise that you can’t be both, he could. I cannot. I found the lodge to be a little bit ridiculous in the ceremonial stuff. I went through the 3 degrees the long way, whence came you.
The boys club wasn’t my thing, I wasn’t a Christian when I joined the masons, but they gave me my first Bible and I read revelation first. I became a born again Christian after a couple years.

Reply
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