Tag: Freemasonry

FREEMASONS MUST BE EX-COMMUNICATED FROM THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH

FREEMASONS MUST BE EX-COMMUNICATED FROM THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH 
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational and research 
purposes:

When a man comes to Christ, he is made a new creation. He is born-again, given a new heart–new desires to follow Christ in obedience.









Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

2 Corinthians 5:17



With an Evangelical landscape that is not only open to, but rampant with freemasonry, one must ask the question: has the old passed away? The purpose of this article is not to explain why Freemasonry is incompatible with Christianity–you can read about that here. However, it is important to note that Freemasonry is not only incompatible with Christianity, but, as a pseudo-religious cult, cannot be tolerated among the ranks.



To summarize, Freemasonry claims that it is not a religion in and of itself, but it does require that its members hold to a belief in some God — any God. One can claim Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, it really doesn’t matter, so long as you profess a higher power. It is precisely this requirement that actually makes it incompatible with Christianity. This makes it a religious fellowship, and Scripture strictly forbids fellowship with unbelievers.





Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols?

2 Corinthians 6:14-16



Yet, the Evangelical landscape is riddled with Freemasons — many churches, especially Southern Baptist churches, have Freemasons in prominent positions of leadership and authority — from the diaconate to the pastorate. It is blasphemous for a Christian to fellowship with other Christians in church on Sundays just to turn around and pray with other religions, take blood oaths, and partake in an overtly secret lifestyle. God commands Christians to live out their faith in the open, not hiding it away in secret societies.





“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Matthew 5:14-16



While many want to hold on this idol of Freemasonry of their past, or evan partake in a new idol after being a Christian for some time, it must be strongly condemned by the Church. Those who continue in unrepentant sin — and Freemasonry is sinful — must be excommunicated from the ranks of the Church. There is no other option, it is a biblical command to do so.



I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges] those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”

SECRET SOCIETY THAT PUMPS OUT POWERFUL ALUMNI~BEHIND THE DEEP STATE

SECRET SOCIETY THAT PUMPS OUT POWERFUL ALUMNI~BEHIND THE DEEP STATE
In this episode of Behind the Deep State, Alex Newman exposes the Skull and Bones secret society out of Yale University. This group has included many influential members in U.S. History, including multiple U.S. Presidents, politicians, and members of the media.
SEE:



ROWLAND SPRINGS BAPTIST CHURCH & THE DEMONIC CULT OF FREEMASONRY: PART THREE-THE SNAKE BITES~A TOP FREEMASON SPEAKS OUT AGAINST THE CRAFT


ROWLAND SPRINGS BAPTIST CHURCH 
& THE DEMONIC CULT OF FREEMASONRY: 
PART THREE-THE SNAKE BITES
BY SETH DUNN
SEE: http://pulpitandpen.org/2018/07/29/rowland-springs-baptist-church-and-the-demonic-cult-of-freemasonry-part-three-stepping-on-the-snake-2/; republished below in full unedited for informational, educational and research purposes:
The following article is the third of a three part testimony about my experience with the cult of Freemasonry at my former church, Rowland Spring Baptist Church.  Rowland Springs Baptist Church is a Southern Baptist Church in Cartersville, Georgia and is a part of the Georgia Baptist Convention and Bartow Baptist Association.  Part One can be found here.  Part Two can be found here.
Easter Intimidation
It was Easter Sunday 2017, I had just finished teaching my final Sunday School class at Rowland Springs Baptist Church (RSBC).  I was sitting in the sanctuary with a friend from seminary, who came to church with me to provide moral support on what was a very trying morning before the worship service started.  I glanced to the back of the sanctuary to find Alton Kay, the Worshipful Master of Cartersville Lodge #63 staring right at me.  Another church member was pointing me out to him.  There were quite a few Masons in the back of the church that day.  Alton, although he had been ordained a deacon, didn’t come to RSBC much.  He was, however, a long-time member with an extensive family history at Rowland Springs.  According to an interview Alton gave to the local paper on the occasion of the church’s 150th anniversary, his grandfather started the church the 1800s.  Alton had been coming to RSBC for seventy-four years.

The local paper interviews Alton Kay on the occasion of RSBC’s 150th Anniversary.
Educating the church about the wicked nature of Freemasonry was going to be a challenge.  Not only was I freshly dismissed from my Sunday School teaching position, but the routes of the lodge ran deep at RSBC.  Educating ignorant people about a secretive cult is hard enough when their friends and fellow church members are not members.  At RSBC, many long-time members were Freemasons and Lodge officers.  In my opposition to Freemasonry at Rowland Springs, I had no support from the church’s pastor, staff, or Deacon Board.  It was up to me, still relatively new to the church, to stand for biblical truth over and against the reputations of prominent long-time church members who had been respected in the church for years.  I think the Freemasons and the hireling pastor knew this.  That Easter Sunday, the Masonic intimidation factor was on full display, but I didn’t intend to turn tail and run.  It was my biblical responsibility to bring the matter up to the entire church whether I thought they would listen or not.  When the Lord gives you a hill to die on, it doesn’t matter whether or not you think you will manage to make it all the way to the top, you just charge.
Summer and Winter, Springtime and Harvest
The next year at Rowland Springs was a long one.  The fellowship of my weekly Sunday School class, which was one of the primary factors that encouraged me to join RSBC, had been removed.   I think this was strategic on the part of the Pastor and Deacon Board.  Any influence that I had at Rowland Springs was a danger to the unity they had achieved through compromising with the Masonic Lodge.  The Pastor, the hireling Joe Ringwalt, seemed more concerned about potential disagreement between church members than he did with the holiness of the church he was tasked with shepherding.  I think a lot of people would leave a church after the embarrassment of being dismissed as a Sunday School teacher.  Yet I didn’t and didn’t plan on doing so.  I had to wonder then, as I do now, how many people had left Rowland Springs and similar churches in the past after being condemned in the kind of quiet, basement meeting that the Pastor and Deacons had with me.  As an accountant, that math was very apparent to me.  My family represents one tithe, the Masonic household represented eight.
Walking in each Sunday, I knew that I wasn’t welcome by the leadership.  The congregation, I think, was generally ignorant about what had gone down in the wake of my calling the Freemasons to repentance.  At the same time, I believe the leadership was ever vigilant that I would again bring up the matter of Freemasonry, this time to a larger audience.  Periodically, I would receive a call from the hireling Pastor criticizing me for something I had posted on Facebook and asking me to consider leaving the church.  He and the Student Minister even went as far as to suggest other churches that I should join!  Each time, I responded that I had a right to share my opinion as long as I wasn’t in sin, belonged to Christ, and should thus be welcomed as a member of Christ’s church.  So, my family and I continued going to our church, despite the persistent discouragement from our pastor, not willing to be quietly shooed away when no one was looking.  I also began to save money.  I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to raise the issue of Freemasonry to a church of hundreds but I knew it would be costly.  I was wrapping up the last of my seminary work and was scheduled to graduate in December of 2017.  When that was over, I knew that I could refocus on the cult that permeated my local church.
One particular Sunday, after the worship service, I was walking with Grant McDurmon, the Chairman of Deacons, to the children’s area to retrieve our kids.  We were talking Falcons football; the Masonic Lodge was the farthest thing from mind.  Then, I saw Jim Moore (the Chaplain of Lodge #63) sitting at the end of the children’s hall working security.  Jim was wearing a ball-cap with a Masonic emblem, a pagan symbol, smack dab in the middle of God’s house.  I pointed the matter out to Grant but he was noncommittal in giving his opinion on the matter.  Jim started towards us.  As he walked by Grant said nothing.  I spoke.  “Jim,” I said sternly, “get that pagan symbol off your head in the Lord’s house.”  Grant remained silent.  Jim, full of anger, snapped back at me coldly, “Why don’t you just go back to First Baptist…don’t you ever talk to me again.”  Jim was as indignant about wearing his pagan symbol at church as he was about being the chaplain of the false Masonic Temple.  Grant looked at me, saying nothing to Jim, and told me that what I had done was inappropriate.  This was the environment the pastor had cultivated at Rowland Springs.  I was being rebuked by the Chairman of Deacons for telling someone not to wear a pagan idol to church!  Adam Burrell, the Student Minister, walked up to me as Jim walked away.  I explained to Adam what had happened and he agreed with me that Jim shouldn’t have worn the hat.  He told me that he was going to talk to him about it.  I was somewhat dumbfounded, Adam was the same man who had months earlier told me that Masonry was a matter conscience.  Somehow, though, it was not okay to wear a Masonic emblem to church.

The Chaplain of the Masonic Lodge served as church security wearing a pagan symbol
Word spread of my incident with Jim.  A few days after it happened, I was invited to lunch by a Deacon named Ben Thompson.  Ben and I had talked denominational politics a little bit in the past but had never really hung out.  I considered him to be a fair-minded man.  I thought it was peculiar that he was asking me to lunch after never having done so in the past two years.  I figured that it wasn’t just to chat.  Before lunch started, I resolved to say nothing of Freemasonry to him unless Ben brought it up.  It didn’t take long for him to do so.  He had heard what happened with Jim and wanted my side of the story.  Jim, according to another church member, was threatening to leave the church over the incident.  I explained exactly what had happened that day.  As with Adam, Ben agreed that Jim should not have worn the hat.  Furthermore, Ben agreed with me that Freemasonry was a cult and that something needed to be done about it at Rowland Springs.  This was music to my ears.  Perhaps the matter wouldn’t have to be brought before the church after all.  Perhaps this Deacon could go as a “2nd or 3rdwitness” to address the sin situation at the church.  Ben advised me that we needed to “build a coalition” to deal with Freemasonry at RSBC.  He also chided me about the direct approach I had previously taken in dealing with the matter and recommended a softer tactic.   He told me that he would again raise the issue of Masonry with the Deacons and I left the soft tactics up to him.
After a few weeks, I followed up with Ben.  He said that he had brought up the Masonry issue at a Deacon’s meeting but that it had been “tabled”.  I could see that, even with Ben’s support, the hireling Pastor and the Deacons were still not going to act to excise Freemasonry from the church body.  It was clear to me that all the church members would have to be educated about Masonry before anything else was done about Masonry.  I devised a plan to do just that.  I took the money that I had been saving over the year and ordered a copy of The Facts on the Masonic Lodge by John Ankerberg for every household in the church.  I used Amazon to have a book delivered to every family in the RSBC church directory.  In this book Ankerberg and his co-authors, clearly explain, using facts, evidence, and scripture, just how unchristian the Masonic Lodge is.  There would be no more ignoring Freemasonry in backroom meetings.  Every single church member was going to be made aware.  The facts were coming to everyone’s house.  Having finally graduated from seminary (my school requires a church endorsement) , I was prepared to face the very high possibility of being excommunicated from Rowland Springs.

Every household on the Rowland Springs mailing list received a copy of this book.
One Easter Later
My final Easter as a member of Rowland Springs was filled with greater Masonic aggression than the last.  I was sitting in a chair the lobby waiting for my wife to get out of the bathroom.  The service has just ended.  The first two people out of the door were Jim Moore and his wife Betty.  Jim looked me dead in the eye, didn’t say a word, then turned his head to the site and made a spitting motion…right there in the church lobby.  This was the utter contempt that this man, this Mason, had for a fellow church member in the house of God.
It didn’t take long for the hireling, Pastor Joe Ringwalt, to call me to ask about the incident.  He asked me the name of the Mason who had spit at me.  I told him it was “the chaplain of Lodge #63.”  That gave Joe no help.  He didn’t even know that his own church member was the chaplain of a pagan temple.  I told him it was Jim Moore.  “Jim isn’t the man we all think he is,” Joe said, as he apologized for what happened.  It was the same way he talked behind Jim’s back when we had first discussed his involvement in Freemasonry over a year prior.  At that time, he called Jim “an insecure man.”  It struck me how willing Joe was to talk about Jim behind his back but how unwilling he was to confront him over the sin of being a member of the Masonic lodge.  Joe Ringwalt is a gutless coward who is unqualified to sit in the pastoral office of the local church.  I practically begged Joe to stand against Freemasonry at Rowland Springs but he would do nothing.   He said he didn’t support Masonry but he supported our Masons.  He said Masonry in the church “wasn’t a hill to die on.”  To me, it was clear, the most important thing to that hireling was keeping his job.

After I was excommunicated from Rowland Springs, I received this message from a former member.
It was during this phone conversation with Joe that he asked me if I knew anything about a book on Masonry that a church member named Harold Barret had received.   I told him that I did indeed know.  I further told him that I had sent one to every household in church.  The hireling was, to say the least surprised.  He asked me where I had gotten the addresses, as if I had done something wrong.  I informed him that he himself had sent the address list to every church member and that I had taken the liberty to use it to educate our congregation about the Lodge.  “That’s your right,” Joe said.  I could tell Joe was upset.  The problem he had been trying to avoid for over year was coming to the mailbox of every church member.  It took Joe less than a month, before all the books could even be delivered, to have me summoned to yet another Deacon’s meeting.

Nanci Davis, a Deacon’s wife, suggested that our church burn the Ankerberg books.
The issue to be discussed at this meeting was, ostensibly, my divisiveness.  During the meeting, Joe insisted that Masonry was not the the reason I was called before the Deacons.  He then proceeded to being up my stance on Masonry.  At that meeting (which was recorded and is available on my podcast), I was railroaded, in complete unity, by the Deacons.
No matter how sinful and wicked Freemasonry was, the problem was Seth Dunn.  No argument was good enough, the Deacons had long ago decided the matter.  Ben Thompson, who had earlier suggested to me creating an anti-Mason coalition,  sat beside me and said nothing in my defense and nothing in regard to the wickedness of Freemasonry.  Grant McDurmon asked me, on behalf of all the Deacons, never to come back to Rowland Springs.  I told him I would be there until they voted me out.  A regularly-scheduled church conference took place that night.   It was announced at that conference that Alton Kay and his wife, for what reason I do not know, desired to transfer their membership to an Independent Baptist church down the street.  The church then voted to approve their transfer of letter to Gateway Church.  “One less freemason!” I exclaimed upon the conclusion of the vote.

These three influential Masons sat together at the church conference.
After my meeting with the Deacons, a special-called church conference was scheduled for the following Sunday night for the express purpose of bringing me under church discipline.
I was accused of the nebulous sin of “sowing discord.”  At that meeting, I was voted out of the membership of Rowland Springs Baptist Church, with the unanimous recommendation of the Deacons, by an overwhelming margin.

Typically, the hope for church discipline is restoration of fellowship. Rowland Springs used the police to tell me never to come back on its property.
When I got the parking lot, two police officers were waiting for me. I was given a criminal trespass warning and told never to come back.  Ben Thompson signed it as a church representative.
My stand against Freemasonry at Rowland Springs had run its course.  The snake that I stepped on had bitten.  The hireling, Joe Ringwalt, is still preaching at Rowland Springs to a church full of Freemasons.  Adam Burrell, ironically, went to work for Pray’s Mill Baptist Church in Douglasville, Georgia where its pastor, popular blogger and conference speaker Josh Buice, has moved to prohibit Free Masons from church membership.  I am attending another Baptist church in Cartersville.
The Blackball Rolls Downhill
I attended Sunday services at Tabernacle Baptist Church on April 29th, seven days after I was disfellowshipped from Rowland Springs Baptist Church.  Having been run out of Rowland Springs, I needed another place to go.  My wife suggested Tabernacle.  I was baptized at that church.  I was married there.  Tabernacle endorsed my application to seminary. My children have attended PreK there for two years.  My parents are members.

My wedding day at TBC.
On April 30th, I was informed that I am no longer allowed on the TBC campus for Sunday worship services. Richard Brown, the very pastor who performed my marriage and signed my seminary endorsement called me Monday morning to tell me that TBC’s security personnel had been informed to be on the lookout for me.  The pastoral staff has, in Richard’s words chosen to “protect the flock” from me because I “sow discord.”  Part of this protection is to ensure that I don’t so much as set foot on the property of Tabernacle Baptist Church, to sit in its pews during Sunday Service.  This treatment was warranted by my stance against Freemasonry at Rowland Springs.
Such is the blackball.  This is the kind of thing I knew could happen if I stood up against Masonry.  It’s a powerful network. I stood up anyway.  No network is more powerful than the God I serve.  When it comes down to it, I will not assent to the idea that I committed the nebulous sin of “sowing discord” because I wouldn’t put up with a demonic cult being part of God’s Holy assembly.
And I never will.
*Please note that the preceding is my personal opinion. It is not necessarily the opinion of any entity by which I am employed, any church at which I am a member, any church which I attend, or the educational institution at which I am enrolled. Any copyrighted material displayed or referenced is done under the doctrine of fair use.
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A Top Freemason Speaks Out Against the Craft: An Interview with Former Eminent Grand Commander Glenn Beck

BY SETH DUNN
SEE: http://pulpitandpen.org/2018/07/29/a-top-freemason-speaks-out-against-the-craft-an-interview-with-former-eminent-grand-commander-glenn-beck/; republished below in full unedited for informational, educational and research purposes:
Some months ago, a Tennessean named Glenn Beck reached out to me regarding my research into and publications about the unbiblical nature of the cult of Freemasonry.  Glenn is a Southern Baptist Deacon and Sunday School teacher.  He is also, perhaps, the most decorated Freemason ever to leave the craft and speak out against it.  A few weeks ago, I traveled to East Tennessee and sat down with Glenn for an in-depth interview about his experience as a Freemason.  That interview is included below:
How long have you been a Christian?
I have been a Christian since I was 16 years old.  I am now in my 70s.
What led you to get saved?
The conviction of the Holy Spirit, I attended a revival that lasted two weeks.  There was an altar call every night.  Every night I would go out the back door, until one night responded to the call of the Holy Spirit and walked down the aisle to the mourners’ bench where I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and was later baptized in a local river.
Of what church are you a member?
I am a member of Russellville Baptist Church in Russellville, TN.
How do you and have you served there?
I am the Senior Men’s Sunday School teacher and a deacon.  I’ve been a deacon there for 3 years.  I also served as a deacon at a former church.
How long were you a Freemason?
I was a Mason for 38 years.
What led you to become a Freemason?
I think all the things that drive men: ego, politics, greed, and selfishness.  I began to look at men I knew around the community who were Masons and over time learned that if you wanted jobs you had to go see certain people because they knew certain people.  That was the system.  So, I asked a family friend who was known to be a Mason how to become a Mason and he gave me a petition to join the lodge.
How are potential members recruited to the lodge?
As I stated in my previous answer, I asked.  If you are interested in becoming a Mason you have to ask a Mason.  You will be given a petition for membership in the lodge.  You complete the petition and submit it to the lodge.  If your petition is accepted then the worshipful master appoints an investigative committee to check into you as a candidate.

Glenn Beck and I discuss Freemasonry.
Tell us about your various Masonic degrees and honors.
I took the three degrees of Blue Lodge and was raised a Master Mason in 1976.   After becoming a Master Mason, I petitioned for the Scottish Rite and became a Shriner, all in 1976.  After going through the Scottish Rite, I was a 32nd degree Scottish Rite Mason. (all Shriners are Masons but not all Masons are Shriners).  I also went into the Eastern Star, my wife and I, and served as Worthy Patron six times.  I served as Worshipful Master of my local Lodge in 1980.  Around 1995, I became interested in the York Rite and petitioned for those degrees.  This is the “Christian” branch of Masonry.  The Scottish Rite was set up for the Masonic Jews and the name of Jesus is not in it.  York Rite Masons must swear to defend the Christian faith (the York Rite is older in origin than the Scottish Rite ).
I petitioned the Chapter, Council, and Commandery in the York Rite.   I progressed through the nine degrees of the York rite.  I served as High Priest and Illustrious Master.  I served as Commander of the Commandery.  I was awarded the (KYCH) Knights of York Cross of Honor, the Knight York Grand Cross of Honor, and the Order of the Purple Cross.  I was a Rosicrucian,  a member of St. Thomas of Acon, Knights Masons, AMD Mason, Red Cross of Constantine, and the Holy Royal Order of Knights Templar Priests.  I was elected to serve as Grand Commander of Knights Templar in Tennessee in 2010.  I served the Grand Lodge and District Chairman.  I was serving as Governor of the York Rite College when I left Masonry.
Do any of the oaths, lectures, and rituals related to them conflict with biblical teaching?
Yes, in various ways.  The Third Commandment (Exodus 20: 7) says, “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in Vain.”  The Masonic obligations are taken in vain using God’s name in a false and unjustified way that represents no genuine faith.  “Vain” means, simply to take for an empty, not good purpose.  It is hypocrisy, claiming the name of God but acting in a way that disgraces him.  It is using the name of God in a superficial and stupid way.  It is perjury related to God’s name.  Consider Zechariah 8: 17, “ love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the LORD.”  Once you understand His essence and the majesty of God’s name, you will never want to even come close to abusing His name.  In Matthew 5:34-37, Jesus said not to swear at all.  Jesus was laying down the principle that Christians must not have two standards of truth.  So, if Masonry is not a religion then does it have its own form of truth apart from the Bible?  Then why use the bible to justify you own truth?
I remember all the oaths, I had a proficiency card.  I taught the lectures.  You repeat the words of the obligation the Worshipful master gives you, while kneeling with your hands upon the Holy Bible, Square and Compasses, which are placed on top of the Bible.  You swear all this and seal it by kissing the Bible.  The Bible, Square, and the Compass are said to be furniture of the Lodge and are placed upon an altar.  The subversive teaching here is that you need another medium in addition to the Bible for moral truths and spiritual knowledge.  Apparently, the Bible alone is not enough.  Some argue that the obligations are not binding, but, if they aren’t, why use the Bible?  Does this then make the scripture irrelevant?
What led you to quit the Lodge?
I’ve renounced Masonry.  It gets me nothing.  I have all kinds of certificates and awards.  It doesn’t mean anything.  Deciding to leave took a period of 5 or 6 years.  I experienced a number of frustrations over a period of years, some of them related to Masonic politics .  At one point my pastor asked me to serve on a church committee to draft policies related to LGBTQ activity.  These policies were created to provide legal protection and to ensure that homosexuals would not be allowed to use our church for same-sex “marriage” or other functions.  At the same time, men (Masons) who  “married”  other Masons continued their membership in the Lodge and continued being accepted as Masons in the State of Tennessee, even though it was against the Masonic code.  This is completely hypocritical and against my Christian beliefs and values for me to be a part of the Lodge which has laws in place prohibiting men with this type of lifestyle from membership in the Masonic Lodge.  How can a man belong to an organization that accepts this lifestyle, while saying it doesn’t?  How does a man who believes and supports what the Bible teaches about this lifestyle justify this contradiction within himself, with God, and with his church?  I demitted from the Blue Lodge, which removed me from all Masonic bodies.  If Masonry is designed to give more light, then I received enough light to know that I wasn’t getting the real light.  Masonry is darkness.
Is Christianity compatible with Freemasonry?
My definition of Christianity is a belief in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. I believe in the Virgin birth of Jesus and his Crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension.  John 3:16indicates that centrality of Christ.  John 14:6 states the vitality of Christ to Christianity clearly, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
What did you specifically feel led to repent of when you quit the lodge and why?
I was led to repent of all the obligations that I had taken.  It is unbiblical.  It is hypocritical.
I couldn’t and didn’t keep the oaths.  I am not acquainted with any Mason that has kept his obligations as a Mason, whatever it may have been.  So, what did it mean?  I came to the realization that the oath and obligation was not biblical, a Violation of the 3rd Commandment.  I saw the real light and what Masonry really is.  Masonry is darkness.
During your years as a Freemason and Church member, did anyone ever approach you about the incompatibility between Christianity and Freemasonry?
No.  No one ever came to me and said it was wrong.  I did have one conversation about Masonry with my sister.   She passed away this year.  I told her before she died that I had gotten out of Masonry.  She said, “I am so glad.”
Does Masonic service conflict or take away from one’s service and commitment to his church?
Yes.  We can’t have two masters.  If you are heavily involved in Masonry, how much time do you spend doing and focusing on Masonic work and ritual versus reading and studying the bible, doing church work?  Masonry creates a conflict and you choose which is important to you.  Masonry became my idol because of the amount of time and focus I gave it.  When you are doing Masonic work, do you use that time to witness for Jesus or do you use that time to talk and witness about Masonry?  In reality, it is confusing to people, who are you representing, Masonry or Jesus?  Does the conversation always lead back to Masonry?
Can you compare being a Mason to matters of Christian liberty, such as drinking wine, eating certain foods, or going to church on Saturday versus a Sunday?  In other words, can Masonry be a matter of conscience or is it plainly unbiblical for everybody?
Speaking as a Christian, and using my definition of a “Christian,” it is not compatible to anyone who professes to be a follower of Jesus Christ.  It is unbiblical.
Does Masonry teach any theological doctrines or lessons which conflict with biblical teaching?
When you go through the degree work, it’s in a religious setting and there is prayer being given.  All human beings, I think, would get the impression that it is a religious ceremony.
In the first degree, you are presented as “a poor blind candidate in total darkness who desires to be brought to light by receiving and having a part of the rights,” light and benefits of this worshipful Entered Apprentice Lodge dedicated to the memory of the Holy Saints Johns as all others have done who have gone this way “before” you.  Gnosticism comes into play here.  You are taught to search for “more light,” which is masonic (enlightenment) knowledge.  Having to say that you are in darkness seeking light, and being blindfolded (hoodwinked) having the blindfold removed after the obligation where you receive “masonic light,” it’s gnostic.  If you are a Christian, it is contrary to biblical teaching.  It is seeking God through an avenue other than the Bible.  When you take your obligations in a Lodge, you put your hands on the Bible.  You have to go to the Lodge to get to that point in seeking knowledge.  It places the Lodge on the same level, at least in your mind, with the church or in competition with it.  It is religious.  It becomes a form of worship.  There is prayer.  You can say there is no religious connection but even an atheist would think it was religion.  The Lodge is intended to represent Solomon’s Temple.   You’re asked four questions as you progress through your Entered Apprentice Degree.  If you answer them correctly, your answers come out to make the statement “It is in God I Am Light,” but you received this knowledge or light in a setting of a Masonic ceremony inspired by man.  So, if Masonry takes good men and makes them better, is the inference here that Masons are better than non-Masons (the profane)?
In the 3rd degree, the Master Mason degree, there is the Hiram Abiff ceremony.  It is a resurrection.  You can call it whatever you want to call it but it is pure and simple a resurrection from the dead.  It’s hard not to perceive it as some form of religion.  Hiram Abiff was murdered by three workers of the temple, according to the legend, because he wouldn’t give them the secret word of a Master Mason.  He was buried in his grave and his grave was marked with a sprig of acacia.  His murderers tried to flee the country but were caught and executed by King Solomon.  Hiram’s name is mentioned in the Bible but it is spelled differently.  The characters are there but the story is not.  A party of twelve was sent out to search for the body.  Three of them found him and went back and reported it.  They found peculiar looking jewels around his neck.  They attempted to raise the body as an Entered Apprentice Mason and Fellowcraft Mason and failed.   Scripture is read at this point in the ceremony, Ezekiel 37 about dry bones living again.  On the third try, they successfully raised the body by the signs and grips of a Master Mason and you receive the new word of a Master Mason which is Ma-Ha-Bone.  This legend or story is not in the Bible.  I believed it was true when I was a Mason.  From the 3rd degree you move onto the higher degrees of the Scottish Rite, the 4th through 32nd degrees.  The Scottish Rite is all paganism and Gnosticism; it’s very theatrical.  I think men see something there and think, “This is better than going to church,” and “I don’t have to go to ‘church,’ I am a 32nd degree Mason, wow I am almost to the top.”  A pastor once told me he asked two Masons where they went to church, they said they were Masons they didn’t need to go to church.  I remember thinking, when that pastor told me that, “How disappointing this has been, the only secret I have learned is how to shake a brother Mason’s hand and give him a password.”
Paul says, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.”  In Masonry, are Brother Masons yoked together with unbelievers?
Yes.  Masonry teaches universality.  It’s taught that Masonry is not a religion but it’s based on religious tenets.  Non-Christians are entitled to sit in the Lodge with religious believers simply because they are brother Masons.  The Masonic oaths and obligations are the ties that bind.  I think it is a form of religious Christian Gnosticism.
Is there a Masonic hermeneutic (a Masonic way of reading the Bible)?
Yes.  In the state of Tennessee, nothing can be on the altar (according to the Masonic Code) but the Holy Bible.  The Masonic degrees, which come from the Bible, are allegorical.  The Bible is intended to mean one thing, what it says, not my interpretation of it.  It says what it says.  The Lodge uses the Bible for allegory.  As you advance, you are searching for more light.  The basis of Masonic knowledge is biblically-based.  There is the idea of “this is what really happened,” with Solomon’s Temple and Hiram King of Tyre.  It has to be so, a Mason whom you trusted and believed told you so.  The story of Hiram Abiff, for example, is presented as veiled in allegory and illustrated with symbols.  It portrays the resurrection of the dead outside the name of Jesus.  Again, the Ezekiel 37 scripture is read in the Hiram ceremony.  When that is done, the Junior Warden, Senior Warden, Junior Deacon, Senior Deacon, and Worshipful Master form a line and that becomes the Tabernacle. The Worshipful Master raises you out of the grave.
What is the symbolism of the various apron jewels and Heavenly Bodies?
The Lodge officers will wear the jewels around their neck and/or on their apron.  The Worshipful Master wears the square, the Wardens wear the Sun, and the Deacons wear the Moon.  When you are raised a Master Mason you are told to behold the three great lights of Masonry which are the Holy Bible, the Square, and the Compass.  The lesser lights of Masonry as the Sun, Moon, and Worshipful Master.  As the Sun governs the day and the Moon governs the night so does the Worshipful Master govern the lodge with equal regularity and pleasure to himself.  When you look in the context of the Bible being the “furniture of the Lodge” where does that place the Bible?  Is it on the same level as the Square and Compass that sit on the Bible?
Do the Jewel symbols, which represent Heavenly bodies and/or God violate the Ten Commandments’ prohibition of graven images?
Yes.  God never created or gave a likeness of Himself.  It’s a violation of 2nd Commandment.  The officers wear the Jewels of the Sun and Moon around their necks.  They open and close the Lodge like the Sun and Moon opens and closes the day.  What is a rational human being supposed to think?  These things attract the eye to seduce the soul.  All these images and symbols in Masonry are turned into idols of worship.  God prohibits idolatry because He is already in the Image making business (Romans 8:29).
Is there any similarity between Freemasonry and the pagan mystery religions.
For example, the Rosicrucian is about philosophy and alchemy.  Masonry is a form of Christian Gnosticism/ Kabbalah, a form or mixture of both was practiced by some of the Jews and others.
Is there an association between Shriner’s and the Koran and Allah?
Yes, unless they’ve changed it.  The Shrine is billed as the “fun” part of Masonry.  The obligation is taken on the Koran.  The fez (hat) comes from Morocco.  The scimitar is on the fez.  It doesn’t take you but a second, Google it, that’s an Islamic emblem.
Does the Masonic funeral ritual contradict biblical teaching and practice in any way?
The Masonic funeral preaches you right into Heaven, whether you have any church affiliation or not.  You have to be a Master Mason, with your dues paid or a 50-year Mason and you are entitled to the funeral.  You don’t have to be a Christian.  Every Mason gets the same Masonic rites.  The Masons will tell you they are not a religion and that they don’t teach a way of salvation, just morals.  The funeral rite mentions God (the Great Architect of the Universe) and Heaven (the Celestial Lodge).  Being a Mason will get you into the Celestial Lodge above.
How much authority do the writings of Pike, Mackey, or Coil have in Masonry or with individual Masons?
The Scottish Rite is going to rely on Albert Pike’s writings.  When you complete the 32nd Degree, you are given a copy of Morals and Dogma by Pike.  It’s their Bible.  A Blue Lodge member that does not join the Scottish Rite probably knows very little about Albert Pike.  And his book is probably not read by most Scottish Rite Masons.  Here are 3 quotations from Albert Mackey:
“Freemasonry is a science of symbols, in which, by their proper study, a search is instituted after truth, that truth consisting in the knowledge of the divine and human nature of God and the human soul.”
“The religion of Freemasonry is not Christian.”
“The Cabala may be defined to be a system of philosophy which embraces certain mystical interpretations of scripture, and metaphysical and spiritual beings…Much use is  made of it in the advanced degrees, and entire Rites have been constructed on its principles.”
I would venture to say that less than 10% of Masons have ever read any of Mackey’s works.
When you first contacted me, you described Freemasonry as a “cult.”  Why?
Just the pure definition of a cult, the Lodge meets that.  Masons have their own form of rituals and if you become one, you are expected to conform to all the rules and accept everything as truth.  You accept their philosophy, sometimes to the exclusion of other things.  They don’t take everyone, you have to qualify.
Does Freemasonry add to the word of God?
Yes.  Consider 2 Timothy 2:15-16.  The bible is truth and it is intended to keep us away from the allegorical teachings that are taught in Masonry.
Does Freemasonry subtract from the person of Christ?
Yes.  It excludes Christ in the Blue Lodge degrees and subverts him in some of the other degrees.
Does Freemasonry involve a multiplication of salvation requirements?
The petition you submitted to the lodge lists a question, “Are you a member of a Church?”  If so give name.  Being a member of a church or being religious or Christian is not a requirement to become a Mason. Masons are asked, “As a rational accountable being, in whom do you put your trust?”  This question may or may not be asked depending on the jurisdiction.  As a Christian, that is supposed to be God.  For a Muslim, it’s Allah.  Masonry promises no way of salvation.  It teaches being a good moral person doing good works.
Does Freemasonry divide the loyalty of its followers?
I don’t think so.  Biblical based religious principles are used to teach that Masonry will give you all that you need.  It is about your relationship with, and obligation to other Masons that binds and creates loyalty and support, so far as it may be justified by each individual.  No matter what political or religious persuasion you may subscribe to all are bound by the obligations.
How have you been treated by Masons since you demitted from the lodge?
Not well, I have been shunned and banished.  I had one person call me that turned out to be one of my best friends and he said, “You know why you don’t get any calls anymore don’t you?”  He was speaking of Lodge members.  “They don’t want to hear what you have to say, they don’t want to deal with it.”  “They are afraid of what you have to say.”
Has the shunning or rudeness extended to Masons who are church members, brothers in Christ?
One of my supposedly best friends asked my wife, “When is Glenn coming back to the Lodge?” (Notice he didn’t ask if I was still going to church).  She said, “Never, it’s not going to happen.  He wonders why you have stopped calling.  He found out who his true friends were.”  This is a guy who will witness to people about Jesus.  So when I stopped being his brother Mason, evidently I stopped being his brother in Christ.  These people have all the “masonic light” they can get. I think that some who profess to be a follower of Jesus are afraid to talk to me about why I left the lodge and renounced Masonry.  By the way, according to some Masonic writings I can’t renounce Masonry.  I have nothing in common with these men since I am not a Mason.  Evidently, the Masonic brotherhood is greater than the Christian brotherhood!  You can’t do both.
Do you think Freemasons, even those who identify as Christians are in danger of going to Hell?  Why?
My concern is that I don’t see how someone can serve Freemasonry and Jesus.  Blue Lodge Masonry is not about Jesus, it’s not about salvation.  Blue Lodge Masonry is not Christian.  It teaches Universalism which in itself is contrary to the word of God.  You can’t have it both ways.  Ultimately, though, I cannot judge who is going to hell.
What would you say to pastors who are considering whether or not Freemasonry is inherently sinful?
It’s a violation of the 3rd Commandment.  Refer to the Scripture in this article.  Understand what Masonry is and is not.  Be prepared to answer what your personal opinion is on Freemasonry.  Be able to explain where the (your) church stands on its members belonging to Freemasonry.  Talk to a former Mason.
To what scriptures would you direct Freemasons, their Christian friends and family members, and pastors to address Freemasonry?
First and foremost it is a violation of the Third Commandment.  Also, I would direct them to Matthew 5:34 where Jesus forbids swearing oaths on things.  Further, they should consider 1 Timothy 6:20-21, which says, “O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called ‘knowledge’—which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith.”  Masonry is about acquiring knowledge and light, but it’s Masonic knowledge, Gnosticism.  Using the bible to teach Masonic allegories (Truth) knowledge is unbiblical.
How would you advise someone to approach his or her Masonic loved one?
Do it lovingly.  Ask why they are looking for organizations to pay to learn how to live and do good works.  Ask why they want to join?  Ask them to talk to someone that has left Masonry.  Ask them to explain what Masonry is.  Ask if they know and understand it is a cult.  Talk to their pastor if they have one.
Would you be willing to talk to any Masons who read this interview if they reach out to you?
Yes.  I didn’t think I’d ever do this interview.  I’m not doing it to “get even.”  This is something I had to do out of conviction from the Holy Spirit.  I had all the reasons not to leave Masonry.  I had all the titles.  That was what I was told when I left.  I didn’t care.  The titles didn’t mean anything.  What does Masonry do for you?  It feeds your ego and pride.  It was hard to give up after 38 years.  So what?  It’s not what I gave up, it’s what I gained.  Masonry took away from my personal life and spiritual life.  We’re all going to meet God one way or another.  We are all witnesses every day, whether we want to be or not.  We have to decide what kind of witness in this case we want to be, a Masonic witness or a Jesus witness. You can’t witness for one without being a hypocrite to the other.
*Please note that the preceding is my personal opinion. It is not necessarily the opinion of any entity by which I am employed, any church at which I am a member, any church which I attend, or the educational institution at which I am enrolled. Any copyrighted material displayed or referenced is done under the doctrine of fair use.
**If you are reading this and God has convicted you of the sin of Freemasonry, please do not hesitate to reach out to me with your own story.


ROWLAND SPRINGS BAPTIST CHURCH & THE DEMONIC CULT OF FREEMASONRY: PART TWO-STEPPING ON THE SNAKE

ROWLAND SPRINGS BAPTIST CHURCH & 
THE DEMONIC CULT OF FREEMASONRY: 
PART TWO-STEPPING ON THE SNAKE 
BY SETH DUNN
SEE: http://pulpitandpen.org/2018/06/27/rowland-springs-baptist-church-and-the-demonic-cult-of-freemasonry-part-two-stepping-on-the-snake/; republished below in full unedited for informational, educational and research purposes:
The following article is the second of a three part testimony about my experience with the cult of Freemasonry at my former church, Rowland Spring Baptist Church.  Rowland Springs Baptist Church is a Southern Baptist Church in Cartersville, Georgia and is a part of the Georgia Baptist Convention and Bartow Baptist Association.

The 2017 Cartersville Masonic Lodge Officers, including RSBC Church member Alton Kay as Worshipful Master.  Also pictured are RSBC church members Freddie Gunn and Frankie James.  Not pictured is lodge Chaplain Jim Moore.
Defending the Faith
I knew bringing up the issue of Freemasonry at Rowland Springs wasn’t going to be easy.  Fortunately, I knew just when and where I could get some advice on how to do it.  Every January, the Institute of Christian Apologetics at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS) holds a week-long conference entitled “Defend the Faith.”  The conference features theologians from across the country, as well as local professors, who have expertise in contrasting Christianity with false religions.  Course credit is offered for students who attend.  I signed up for the 2017 conference in order to fulfill some of my last requirements for graduating from NOBTS with a Masters of Divinity in Christian Apologetics.  I determined to ask some of my professors about Masonry while there.  I knew that the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) had investigated Freemasonry in years past and taken a somewhat lukewarm, if not politically influenced, position on the Lodge in its final report on the matter.  I trusted my professors more than denominational reports and determined to ask them some pointed questions about the Lodge.  If I was more concerned than I needed to be about Freemasonry, I figured they could back me down.  I left the Defend the Faith conference as determined as ever to confront the dangerous cult, not only at my church, but in my denomination as a whole.
Two of the speakers at the conference were counter-cult specialists James Walker and David Henke of the Watchman Fellowship, which is an independent Christian research and apologetics ministry focusing on new religious movements, cults, the occult, and the New Age.  One of the staples of that ministry is its Profile Notebook. The publication, which is updated monthly, contains 4-page briefings on new religious movements, the occult, cults, New Age spirituality, and related doctrines and practices – everything from Acupuncture to Zen Buddhism.  The Profile Notebook, which was required reading for my “Cult Theology” course at NOBTS contains a profile on Freemasonry authored by Ron Rhodes.  It was that profile that first got me interested in studying Freemasonry and informed me about its dangerous and blasphemous theology.  During my week in New Orleans, I spent time eating lunch with James and David.  I told them about my situation, that I knew of a Freemason who was a member of my church.  I asked for their advice on how to approach him.  James suggested giving Jim the Freemasonry pages from the Profile Notebook and asking him to mark up anything that he didn’t think was accurate.  It sounded like a pretty good idea to me, so I planned on giving Jim the profile when I got back to Georgia.  James and David warned me, however, that dealing with Masonry at a local church was like dealing with a snake. “Never try to step on it unless you are sure you can crush the head without being bitten,” James told me.  I wouldn’t learn until later just how accurate James warning was.
Two of my professors are on the board of the Watchman Fellowship: Dr. Putman and Dr. Stewart.  They were also speaking at the conference.  When asked during a class session, Dr. Putman agreed with me that Masonry demonstrated tenants of Gnosticism.  Dr. Stewart was more hesitant to offer his opinion on the cult.  He did, however, offer a story from his younger days at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS).  While there, he had been tasked with writing articles for a denominationally published book on cults.  Naturally, the subject of Freemasonry came up during his research.  Knowing Baptist historian and chair of the SWBTS history department, H. Leon McBeth, to be a Mason, Dr. Stewart inquired with him about Masonic rituals.  When confronted about the activities of the lodge, McBeth confirmed the details of Stewart’s research but told the young Stewart, “we don’t really believe it.”  Dr. Stewart’s story, as lacking in details as it was, confirmed two things to me.  First, the activities of the Lodge are unbiblical.  Second, it can mean trouble to speak of them in Southern Baptist circles.
Freemasons have had a strong presence in the Southern Baptist Convention.  John T. Christian, a history professor after whom the NOBTS library is named, was a Freemason.   So, too, was William T. Hamilton, who served as NOBTS President (1927-1953), SBC President (1940-1942), and the Head of Evangelism for the Home Mission Board.  The first President of SWBTS, B.H. Carroll, was a Freemason.  In 1991, it was estimated that 14% of SBC pastors and 18% of SBC Deacons were Freemasons with 400-500k Freemasons in SBC membership.  Masonic influence is almost certainly the reason why the SBC’s 1993 statement on Freemasonry so weakly condemns Masonic practice.  Even the influential layperson, Dr. James L. Holly of Texas, who for years pressed the SBC to investigate the cult of Freemason was kicked out of his local church for bringing the matter of Freemasonry to light there.  The Masonic snake bites, and Southern Baptist Theologians tend to tread carefully when discussing the matter.  That’s why I was thankful for the strong, unequivocal condemnation of the Lodge I heard from Dr. Mike Miller, the pastor of Central Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Texas.  Miller is a no-nonsense preaching professor at NOBTS.  During a pulpit polemics breakout session at the Defend The Faith conference, I asked Dr. Miller how he dealt with Freemasonry as a pastor.  “I tell them to leave the lodge or leave the church,” he said.  Miller’s strong biblical stance is befitting of a pastor.  Unfortunately, the timid Joe Ringwalt is pastor of RSBC.  It was Ringwalt’s support that I would need to combat this evil when I got home.  I would not get it.
Stepping on the Snake
I returned home from the Defend the Faith conference on January 6th ready to confront Freemasonry at RSBC head-on.  Shortly thereafter I was approached by the staff of RSBC about preaching at the church’s monthly Men’s Brotherhood Breakfast on the 15th.  In accepting the invitation, I saw the perfect opportunity to subtly raise the pressing issue of Freemasonry before the men of the church.  I was told I could preach on “whatever I wanted.”  After my topic was determined, Pastor Ringwalt emailed the entire church to following statement
In the morning, we start with Brotherhood Breakfast at 8:30am. Seth Dunn will be bringing a challenging message to our boys and men about living a holy life before God.”
My message was grounded in three sections of scripture: Acts 17, Joshua 7, and 1 Corinthians 10.  Using Acts 17 as a backdrop, I challenged the men of our church to recognize the centers of idolatry all around our county: the LDS Church, the Kingdom Hall, the Islamic Center, and “certain fraternal orders.”  Like the men of Athens, we were surrounded by people who were very religious.  Like the Apostle Paul, we were responsible to evangelize the pagans around us with the gospel of Jesus Christ, contrasting Christianity with the false religions that had taken our neighbors captive.  Before, we could do so, we had to first look inwardly.  I told the story of Achan and the Israelites from Joshua 7 and explained how the entire body suffered defeat because of the secret sins of one man in the camp.  I then transitioned to Paul’s warnings from Israel’s history in 1 Corinthians 10.  We, as the local church, had to first hold ourselves accountable before we could effectively witness to the pagan world.  I distinctly remember looking up during my message, as I was making a point about holiness in the body, and seeing Joe Ringwalt nodding in agreement.
As I expected, Jim Moore attended the breakfast.  When it was over, I took James Walker’s advice and approached Jim.  I presented him with Watchman Fellowship’s Freemasonry profile and asked him if he could review it for me.  I told him that I had studied the Lodge in school but wanted his opinion as a man who had been a member of the lodge of fifty years.  Jim was quick to tell me, a fellow church member, that much of his knowledge of Masonry was secret and could not be revealed to me.  Nevertheless he agreed to look the document over and mark up what wasn’t accurate.  After that I attended Sunday School and the worship service.  On the way out the door, I was stopped by Frankie James.  Heretofore, I had never spoken to Frankie but had seen him around the church.  As is common in many churches, RSBC has a security team that keeps an eye on the parking lot and stands by the doors during the service.  Frankie is one of the men who volunteers to work security there.  Frankie told me that he, too, was a Mason and that it was nothing to worry about, that Masonry was okay.  Jim had obviously shown him the Watchman profile.  The snake was beginning to slither.

RSBC members Randy Reese (a known Mason), Larry Vaughan, and Jeff Baker (a deacon) at a Masonic golf tournament.  The picture was taken by Baptist Mason Tony Ross.
Frankie’s smiling assurances gave me no comfort.  To the contrary, I began to become uneasy about just how many Masons were present at RSBC.  Adam had told me Jim Moore was the only one of which he knew and the only other one I knew of, Fred Gunn Jr, had died the month before.  When I got home, I more closely perused the Cartersville Lodge #63 website.  I clicked on a link entitled “lodge officers” which I had not examined before.  To my great dismay, I saw more than one familiar face.  Not only was Jim Moore listed as Lodge Chaplain but three other church members, Frankie James, Freddie Gunn (Fred’s son), and Alton Kay, were pictured with the Lodge officers was well.  Alton Kay was the current Worshipful Master of the Lodge.  Rowland Springs was a haven, a stronghold of Freemasonry.  The problem was much bigger than one kindly old man.
The next Sunday, I walked into my Sunday School classroom and found the Freemasonry profile I had given Jim on my lectern.  It was nearly completely highlighted.  He left no other markups or notes so I assumed the highlights Jim had made were to indicate what was inaccurate in the profile.  After Sunday School, I found Jim standing near my usual pew in the sanctuary.  When I asked him about his markups, he referred to the profile as “garbage.”  I tried to ask some follow up questions but he insisted that he could not divulge his secret information, he would only repeat his claim that the profile was “garbage.”  The profile included some citations from the work of Albert Mackey, one of the best known Masonic authors of all time.  Mackey is cited authoritatively in Akin’s Lodge Manual with the Georgia Masonic Code.  Jim, a 50-year Mason and Chaplain of a Georgia Masonic Lodge claimed to have never heard of Mackey.  The profile indicated that prayer in the name of Jesus was discouraged in Masonic lodges.  Jim insisted that he did in fact teach about and pray in the name of Jesus in the Lodge.  He made some strange comments about the ordinances of the church and how pastors unjustly restrained the communion to church service and ended our conversation by aggressively telling me that “I needed to drop this cult stuff.”  There was anger in his face.  This was out of character for the man I had heretofore known.  The congenial ambassador of Rowland Springs Baptist had turned cold and aloof.  After that day, Jim would no longer approach my pew to say hello to me and my wife as he had done before; I knew why.  I had touched his idol and he was upset.  I also knew that Jim had lied to me about his assessment of the Watchman Profile.  I also approached a former Masonic Worshipful Master from Wisconsin named Larry Herzog about the accuracy of the profile.  Larry, who had left the Lodge out of Christian conviction, confirmed to me its accuracy.  Jim denied it and became unapproachable.
Chic-fil-A and the Church Basement
Ninety-one days after first approaching Jim about his involvement with Freemasonry, I taught my last Sunday School class at RSBC, on Easter Sunday 2017.  In that short time, I had gone from being someone who was tapped to preach for the men’s ministry and tasked with teaching the church’s doctrinal Sunday School class to being forcibly removed as Sunday School teacher and encouraged to leave the church.  The snake had bitten.  Not long after my conversation with Jim, I was asked by Joe Ringwalt and Adam Burrell to meet them at Chic-Fil-A.  For the first time since I began attending Rowland Springs Joe and Adam expressed their dissatisfaction with me.  According to them, certain unnamed deacons had brought my name up during the last deacons’ meeting.  They expressed concern with my being a Sunday school teacher at RSBC and how it reflected on the church in the community.  This was out of left field.  Only one of the deacons had ever attended my class and none had ever come to me in person with a problem.  I asked why these deacons hadn’t first come to me personally before bringing my name up in a meeting.  Joe agreed with me that the deacons should have come to me first individually but said that since he had heard what they had to say that he felt it was necessary to address their concerns with me.  I was told that my social media activities, blogs and Facebook posts, were embarrassing to the church.  Well before coming to RSBC, I had been a well-known Baptist blogger.  Yet, no one at RSBC, in the months leading up to my joining the church and becoming a Sunday School teacher, had ever expressed a problem with my writing.  Neither did anyone express a problem with my writing, much of which addressed Freemasonry, after I joined the church and became a Sunday School teacher.  Joe and Adam were well aware of my past church involvement and the reason that I was searching for a new fellowship when I came to RSBC.  They were also aware of my opposition to certain denominational causes (such as NAMB) and the Masonic Lodge.  When they were seeking me as a “prospect” to join the church, these stances of mine were not a problem.  Notably, I was voted in as a Sunday School teacher at church conference almost immediately after joining the body.  Now, though, Joe and Adam were very worried about what I might say or write.  Something seemed off to me.  To alleviate their concerns and those of the deacons, I agreed with Joe and Adam that I would write a blog post to all the Christians in our county explaining my motivation for my various blogs and social media posts.
Before lunch was over I told Joe that a bigger concern in our church should be Freemasonry.  I told him about what I had discovered on the Lodge website.  Rather than expressing concern and lament that a cult has so deeply infiltrated a church in his shepherding care, Joe spoke about his employment situation.  Upon hearing what I had to say, Joe’s posture changed.  He leaned down over the table and quietly said, “If I go against Freemasonry, I’ll get fired.”  I knew right then and there that Joe was compromised on the issue and I would get no support from him in standing against the demonic cult that pervaded RSBC.  Joe was a hireling, more concerned with retaining his job than the spiritual health of his church.  Everything about our conversation that day indicated that Joe was more worried about himself than he was with shepherding the church.  Months before, when Joe had visited my house to talk about my joining the church, he acted like he was strongly opposed to the Lodge.  Now, when addressed with a specific and pervasive problem in RSBC, he seemed fearful.  I think Joe was under the impression that I would drop the matter after our conversation, knowing that it was something he wasn’t willing to address.  There was simply no chance of that happening.  Without the support of the pastor, and up against a new and strangely timed opposition from the staff and the deacons, I considered what my next steps would be concerning Jim and the rest of the Masons.
I determined, by the dictates of Holy Scripture, that I would approach the masons of RSBC myself.  In Matthew’s 18:15, Jesus instructs church members to approach those fellow members of their local church who are sin directly and encourage them to repent.  This is not a suggestion, it is a command, one which is reiterated by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:11.  Freemasonry is a demonic cult which requires its members to sin against the Lord by the very requirements of its initiation rite.  If a man is in the Lodge, he is sin.  Every time he invites another man to join the Lodge, he encourages another to sin.  Freemasons lead men away from Christ, not towards him.  I could do nothing less than approach each Freemason at my local church and live within the will of the Lord.  From a church discipline standpoint this was a complicated and difficult situation.  Because Freemasonry is a secret society full of respected, service-minded men, many Christians are under the false impression that the Lodge is an innocent, benevolent, and even good social organization.  Few, like me, study the ins and outs of cults.  If the Masons refused to repent, choosing instead to strike like James Walker’s metaphorical snake, I could not depend on the staff and deacons at RSBC to go with me as “two or three witnesses.”  Nor, if the Masons were to be brought before the body, could I depend on the general knowledge of a church that had tolerated their presence for so long.  As a Sunday School teacher, I could educate people in my class about the Lodge but speaking to a specific matter outside of my curriculum would almost certainly draw the ire of the already suspicious pastor and deacons.  Plus, my Sunday School class constituted a minuscule percentage of the church.  I wasn’t sure how to educate the church or who could go with me as “two or three” but I knew I had a responsibility to urgently call the Masons to repent.
I decided to draft a letter to each individual Mason from RSBC that I had found on the Cartersville #63 website.  While I was planning my letter, the staff and deacons at Rowland Springs were planning to oust me from my teaching position.  There was another lunch meeting at Chic-Fil-A with Joe and Adam.  I was berated for being publicly critical of Southern Baptist causes like NAMB and the Georgia Baptist Convention.  It didn’t seem to matter to Joe than NAMB was currently being sued by a former Baptist state executive and NOBTS professor or that the Georgia Baptist Convention had constructed a sinfully opulent $45M headquarters.  Joe plainly didn’t want the word to get out on these matters of controversy.  It became very apparent to me how Joe had retained his position of RSBC pastor for twenty years when the average tenure of an SBC pastor was nine years.  Joe didn’t make waves.  Joe avoided controversy.  I was reminded of the words of friend and former Rowland Springs church member who warned me about Joe when I first started visiting RSBC:
I grew up at Rowland Springs.  Joe Ringwalt was a very much, don’t step on toes, kind of preacher…Rowland Springs had a lot of “old money” and he worried about making them upset.  There isn’t much discipline that I ever saw, and Joe will rarely step on anyone’s toes with a sermon.
Joe did his best to deal with me quietly.  He asked me to step down from teaching Sunday School.  I told him, “You’ll have to fire me.”  I hated being put in the position to defend myself as a Sunday School teacher.  The members of my class were effusive when describing how I taught.  It was by their suggestion that I was considered the former teacher’s replacement when he moved.  One man even suggested that Joe should have me fill the pulpit upon his first visit to my class.  I had been training in seminary to teach doctrine for years.  Yet Joe and Adam were asking me to quit.  I told them that it didn’t make sense that they would fire their “best Sunday School teacher.”  It was, plainly, dirty politics.  I wasn’t about to let Joe Ringwalt make me a quiet quitter in a Chic-Fil-A booth 30 miles from the church.  The church had voted me in, the church was going to have to vote me out.  At the end of the lunch I asked Joe and Adam if I was in sin.  I told them that I wanted to repent if I was.  Neither of them expressed to me that I was sinning.  They just didn’t like how I was handling myself online.  Again, there was no accusation of sin.
Not long after our second lunch meeting I mailed out my letters to the various RSBC Freemasons.  The letters were similarly worded but tailored to each man.  My letter to Jim, mailed out on April 10th, read as follows:
 Dear Jim,
As you will recall, I recently shared a document on Freemasonry with you.  I passed this document on to you at the suggestion of James Walker.  Mr. Walker is the President of Watchman Fellowship, which is a Christian research and apologetics ministry focusing on new religious movements, cults, the occult and the New Age.  Watchman Fellowship published the document on Freemasonry which I shared with you.  It was part of the assigned reading for my recent Cult Theology class at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.  The document piqued my interest in researching Freemasonry.  I have come to conclude, along with the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention and a number of other Christian denominations, that Freemasonry is not compatible with Christianity.  I was disappointed to see that you, a member of Rowland Springs Baptist Church, have been a Mason for over fifty years.
Before I joined RSBC, I asked Joe very directly if there were any Masons in positions of leadership at RSBC.  This question was intended to assess the health the local body. Joe assured me that there were no Masons in leadership.  As I understand it, both you and Alton Kay (your Worshipful Master) are ushers. Although it’s a very visible position, I don’t suppose usher is a position of “leadership.” Nonetheless you and Alton are my fellow church members.  Thus, I am obligated by scripture to take the uncomfortable step of showing you, Jim, your sin.  I ask that you repent of the sin of being involved in Freemasonry and immediately renounce your membership in Lodge #63.
As a faithful Christian, I can do no other thing.  The Lord Jesus said, “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.”  This is what I hope to do with this letter.  I do not seek to “sharply rebuke an older man,” but rather I appeal to you as a younger man.  Think of your witness and the way you influence others.  I understand that you may be taken aback by my actions.  Perhaps no other church member has ever approached you asking you to renounce Freemasonry.  It could be the case that the other members of our church are, as I was for many years, ignorant of the unbiblical nature of Freemasonry. Having researched the matter myself, I can no longer say that I am unaware.  The Apostle James wrote, “to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.”  I am in the position of knowing about the nature of Freemasonry. So are you.  Thus, we both must do the right thing.  There is a sentiment among some that many Freemasons simply see the craft as a harmless fraternal organization and have not fully considered its spiritual claims ramifications.  Though I do not share this sentiment, given that you are the lodge chaplain and a fifty year Mason, I cannot assume that such is the case with you.
As you know, Freemasonry requires that oaths be taken to be initiated into the Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason degrees.  These oaths are fairly described as barbaric and involve binding oneself under the penalty of having one’s throat cut “ear to ear” and having one’s “tongue torn out by its roots”.  These oaths violate the command of the Lord Jesus who stated:
“make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.  But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil.”
To even enter the most basic degrees of Freemasonry, one must disobey Christ.  As a fifty year Mason, you have no doubt taken part in many initiation ceremonies.  This is not an acceptable action for a member of the body of Christ.  It is sin.  This oath swearing in itself puts Masonry at odds with Christianity.  That’s to say nothing of the extrabiblical story of the death and resurrection of Hiram Abiff.
The secrecy of Freemasonry is inherently antithetical to Christianity.  The Lord Jesus told his followers that they are “the light of the world.”  Jesus said, “A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”  Freemasons claims to have the “light” of Masonry, yet they keep it secret from outsiders, even members of their own churches.
Freemasonry claims that it “makes good men better.”  This can’t be so.  Scripture teaches that there are no good men.  Jesus Christ said: “There is only One who is good; No one is good except God alone.” Scripture, through the Apostle Paul and the prophet Isaiah, teaches that “there is none righteous, not even one.”  The website of the Cartersville lodge states that “no particular religion or faith is required or excluded” from Freemasonry.  Thus, Freemasonry as an institution teaches lost people that they are good and can get better through Masonry (and outside of faith in Christ).  This both denies the effects of the Edenic fall and the power of the gospel.
If there is any remaining doubt the Freemasonry denies the scripture then consider the words from Akin’s own manual, which was published here in Cartersville, GA:
“As you are now introduced into the first principles of Masonry, I congratulate you on being accepted into this ancient an honorable Order: ancient, as having subsisted from time immemorial; and honorable, as tending in every particular, so to render all men who will conformable to its precepts.  No institution was ever raised on a better principle, or more solid foundation.  Nor were ever more excellent rules and useful maxims laid down that are inculcated in the several Masonic lectures. The greatest and best of man, in all ages, have been encouragers and promoters of the art, and have never deemed it derogatory to their dignity to level themselves with the fraternity, extend their privileges, and patronize their assemblies.”
The Church of Jesus Christ was raised on the Solid Rock, Jesus Christ.  He is the chief cornerstone of the church.  This is the most solid foundation of any institution.  The Bible is God’s Holy word and contains better maxims than any man-based teachings. The statement above from Akin’s manual is antithetical to Christianity and no Christian should be able to say it good conscience.  None should believe it. No prophet or apostle has ever been a Freemason (from time immemorial).  Nor was the Lord Jesus Christ.  It is not true, then, that “the greatest and best of man, in all ages” have encouraged and promoted Freemasonry.
Akin’s manual also implies, through its funeral service language, that non-Christians can make it to Heaven through their virtuous living.  This is denial of what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
It is also a denial of the clear words of Jesus, no one gets to the Father except through Him.
You said the document that I shared with you was “garbage.”  I do not believe you are correct. I shared it with a former Chaplain and Worshipful Master from Wisconsin named Larry Herzog.  He told me that the document contained truth. (Larry left Freemasonry after coming to Christ.)  I have consulted a number of resources about Masonry, including pastors, seminary professors, former masons, and cult experts.  The verdict is clear.  The Craft is antithetical to Christianity and an affront to both the church universal and local. Jesus Christ said, “nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light.”  The secret things of Masonry have been brought to light.
Please renounce Freemasonry and repent of your sin.
Sincerely,
G. Seth Dunn
My letters did not go over well with the Masons.  Rather than respond to me personally, the Masons went straight to Joe and the deacons.  I soon received an angry call from Joe informing me that the deacons were taking action to remove me as a Sunday School teacher that week.  He also told me that there were 7-8 Masons at RSBC, double the number I had assumed from reading the Lodge website.  Joe refused to tell me their names other than one, a member of the choir named Randy Reese who was, according to Joe, no longer active.   Adam Burrell, who had once remarked to me that “at least 1/3 to 1/4 sitting in church on any given Sunday morning are likely not true believers” was terribly unconcerned about the number of cult members in the church at which he was employed as “Minister of Students and Families”.
I was summoned to a midweek evening meeting with the deacons in the church basement.  Only two of the deacons showed up.  I arrived early and was already waiting for them in the church library (a pitiful place, full of books by Don Piper, Joyce Meyer, Beth Moore, John Hagee, and Beth Moore) as they were walking in.
   
The two men, Ken Nix and Pat Malin, both mature in age, were joking with one another about how they needed their side arms for the meeting.  Before they walked into the room, it was clear to me that they viewed me not as a brother who needed to be loved but a problem to be dealt with.  When Joe and Adam arrived they handed me a letter which accused me of being prideful and divisive, using my defense of being the best “Sunday School” teacher against me as evidence that I was arrogant.  The letter, signed by every deacon (none of whom had communicated with me personally beforehand) stated that I was to be relieved of teaching Sunday School.  My class was to be broken up and reformed as a new class with Adam as its teacher.  Joe, Adam, and the Deacon Board flouted Matthew 18 and together accused me of sin without one man first coming to privately to do so.  During the meeting, Pat suggested that I leave the church quietly since it didn’t agree with my stance.  Ken, the man who joked about needing a gun to meet with me not thirty minutes before, said I wasn’t loving.  Adam said Freemasonry was a matter of conscience like “meat sacrificed to idols”and that I was doubting the salvation of  “good” men.  Joe proclaimed that Freemasonry wasn’t “a hill to die on”.   When I reminded him of his words at Chick-fil-A, that he said “he would get fired” for going against Masonry, Joe adamantly denied saying it.  Adam, the only other party who had been present at the lunch, reminded Joe that he did indeed make that remark.  Joe, who had moments before denied making the comments at all, then insisted that he was just joking when he said that.  Joe insisted that I apologize to the Masons for my letter and warned me that I could be brought before the church and expelled over the matter.  Since the church body as a whole had voted me to the position of Sunday School teacher, I did not believe that the deacons had the authority to remove me from my class.  At the same time, I could see the unholy writing on the wall.  The church, not being educated on the matter, would be quicker to listen to their pastor of twenty years than they would to me.  They had respected and known the Masonic men for years.  I was relatively new to the church and the deacons were all against me.  Complicating matters was that I was two classes away from graduating seminary and had a three-month-old baby.  I barely had time to prepare my lessons each week as it was and I certainly didn’t want to explain to my seminary, after working seven years towards graduating, that I had been excommunicated and no longer had the endorsement of a local church.
I accepted the actions of the deacons and quietly focused on my two remaining seminary classes.  I had fulfilled my obligation under Matthew 18 to go privately to the Masons.  My conscience was clean and Fred Gunn Jr’s tragic obituary burned less brightly in mind.  Both Joe and I knew, however, that I wasn’t done with Freemasonry.  I was bound and determined to find a way to educate the church about the wickedness of the Lodge.  I had the next eight months to finish my final seminary classes and figure out how.
Part Three of this article is forthcoming…
*Please note that the preceding is my personal opinion. It is not necessarily the opinion of any entity by which I am employed, any church at which I am a member, any church which I attend, or the educational institution at which I am enrolled. Any copyrighted material displayed or referenced is done under the doctrine of fair use.

ROWLAND SPRINGS BAPTIST CHURCH & THE DEMONIC CULT OF FREEMASONRY~PART ONE-SILENCE & CONVICTION

SOUTHERN BAPTIST APOSTASY:
MIXING “CHRISTIANITY” WITH FREEMASONRY
ROWLAND SPRINGS BAPTIST CHURCH & THE DEMONIC CULT OF FREEMASONRY~
PART ONE-SILENCE & CONVICTION 
BY SETH DUNN
SEE: http://pulpitandpen.org/2018/06/08/rowland-springs-baptist-church-and-the-demonic-cult-of-freemasonry-part-one-silence-and-conviction/; republished below in full unedited for informational, educational and research purposes:
The following article is the first of a two part testimony about my experience with the cult of Freemasonry at my former church, Rowland Spring Baptist Church.  Rowland Springs Baptist Church is a Southern Baptist Church in Cartersville, Georgia and is a part of the Georgia Baptist Convention and Bartow Baptist Association.

Joe Ringwalt has been pastor of RSBC for over 20 years and is a former Georgia Baptist Convention Committee Member.
Pastor Joe Ringwalt stood up before the congregation of Rowland Springs Baptist Church as Sunday morning services came to a close.  My wife and I were standing next to him.  “It really says something about our church,” he said, “that people of this caliber are joining.”  I was a little embarrassed by Joe’s very public compliment of our “caliber” but I was certainly happy, despite my wife’s reservations, to be joining Rowland Springs.  I had been kicking the tires of the church for about six months.  The preaching was mostly expository, the music was a mix of (mostly) biblical hymns and contemporary songs, the student minister was a Calvinist from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and the Sunday School class we had been attending was edifying and full of lovely Christian people.  It felt like a Baptist Church and not a Baptist Church that was trying to be something else.  The very week that I joined Rowland Springs I was assigned to be the temporary teacher of the “What Christians Believe” Sunday School Class.  At the next Church Conference, I was elected by the congregation to become the official teacher of the class.  The Sunday School class I looked forward to attending every week became the class I looked forward to teaching.  As someone who had been in seminary for nearly a decade, I was excited to finally begin teaching God’s word to others in the local church.  Things seemed to have fallen into place quite nicely.  A few months later, however, I was meeting with the pastor, the youth minister, and two deacons in the church basement.  I was quietly and involuntarily removed as a Sunday School teacher.  My class dissolved.  I was encouraged to leave the church altogether.  This meeting took place in the wake of my discovery that several members of Rowland Springs Baptist Church were officers of Cartersville Masonic Lodge No. 63.  Unbeknownst to me when I joined, Rowland Springs Baptist Church was a stronghold of the demonic cult of Freemasonry.  When I stood for the holiness of Christ’s church and against the cult of Freemasonry, Rowland Springs Baptist Church stood for the Freemasons.  Joe Ringwalt advertises Rowland Springs as “a warm and loving church” and a “fellowship that wants to love you, provide a place of service for you, and challenge you to allow Christ to live his life through you.”  On the surface, it is.  However, when I scratched the surface of Rowland Springs Baptist Church, the surface scratched back. 
2014 to 2016: A Failed Expedition 
I walked into Expedition Church on a Sunday at about 11:45 AM.  I was late, again.  Getting to church, anywhere really, on-time with three young children was no easy task.  The music was already over and the sermon-time had begun began.  Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith was playing on the projector.  The congregation watched, during the church service, as Mace Windu and two hapless Jedi Masters fought Darth Sidious to a stalemate.
The stalemate was broken when Anakin Skywalker betrayed the Jedi order and attacked Mace Windu.   Darth Vader was born.  I was aghast, and it was not because Anakin Skywalker had turned to the Dark Side.  My wife and I could have watched Star Wars at home.  We came to church.  After Mace Windu fell to his death, Pastor Tim Samples began a sermon about power.  Darth Vader’s traitorous act served as a sermon illustration of seeking power the wrong way.  My wife saw Tim’s increasing use of videos and movie clips as an attempt to fill time.  I agreed.  It was clear to us both that Tim was phoning in his sermons.  Some were basically book reports of whatever he happened to have been reading lately.  One was nearly a word-for-word plagiarism of a Ravi Zacharias podcast.  Another was an 18-minute YouTube video advertisement for the movie Woodlawn.  He set aside one Sunday morning to have a Pentecostal named Ray to come up and talk about the importance of tithing; Ray’s talk included the exact amount he gave each month and a testimony of how God miraculously reactivated his broken computer when he began tithing.  The Pentecostal presence at the church was growing.  Tim also occasionally filled the pulpit with quasi-missionaries who gave live infomercials for their ministries which were thinly disguised as their testimonies.  One of the presenters was a lawyer named Joel Thornton who had a side business selling identify theft insurance.  Another was Robert Rogers, a practicing Roman Catholic.
As Tim’s effort into teaching the congregation at Expedition Church waned, my wife and I grew more and more frustrated.  As we left each week, my exasperated wife would ask questions like “What was Tim talking about?”  I didn’t have a good answer for her.  I recognized that there was a big problem but I wanted to stick with Tim.  Tim had for years, as we Christians say, “poured into me”.  He gave me the privilege of helping teach the youth group at his church on Wednesday nights.  He supervised my seminary work in evangelism, leadership, and preaching.  He introduced me around the county Baptist association.  He opened his pulpit for me to preach when my preaching practicum class required it.  He met with me weekly for lunch.  He did his best to mentor and disciple me.  He pastored me.  At Expedition he sought to equip and encourage the whole body for ministry.  He rejected the “invest and invite” model of so many Georgia Baptist churches, where church members are charged with giving money to build facilities and inviting their friends and neighbors to hear a professional preacher evangelize them.  Tim understood that the church was a body, not a building, a group of people who were tasked with evangelizing their community themselves, with or without an official church program directing them.  Having been stung by the “invest and invite” culture myself, I knew Tim was on the right track with what he was trying to do at Expedition Church. 
Tim grew up at Roswell Street Baptist Church in Marietta, Georgia under the smooth preaching of Dr. Nelson Price.  Price is a venerated man in Southern Baptist culture.  In fact, a dormitory at my seminary bears his name.   To my knowledge, even in his retirement, Price still bears the title of “Pastor Emeritus” of Roswell Street Baptist Church.  Under Price’s preaching, Roswell Street grew and expanded its campus.  However, after his retirement, Roswell Street’s properties and attendance levels began to deteriorate.  The “invest and invite” model proved not to be a viable long-term solution for Roswell Street.  Its large campus became hard to maintain.  Tim’s ministry at Expedition is on a much smaller scale.  The church property consists of rented office and warehouse space off of Highway 41 in Cartersville.  The average attendance is (or, was, at the time I attended) around fifty on a big day.  Quite frankly, Tim is no Nelson Price and his preaching wouldn’t fill a big building even if he had one.  I used to tell Tim, “You aren’t the best preacher in town, but you’re the best pastor.”  Tim was anything but a distant vision caster who didn’t know his flock.  He was personally connected to his people.  He knew them well.  I was once given a personality profile as a part of corporate training.  When I told Tim about taking the test he guessed my results almost before I could finish my sentence.  I liked having him as a pastor.  I liked being a part of the body that was Expedition Church.  There were no strangers there and the entire church felt like one, close, multi-generational Sunday School class.   
Tim planted Expedition Church himself after being released from the staff of Oak Leaf Church in Cartersville (which is now known as CrossPoint City Church).  Tim was the self-described “relationship man” at Oak Leaf.  The pastor there claimed not to be a people person and was only interested in preaching from the pulpit, not dealing with people.  That became Tim’s role.  Unfortunately, one of the people the pastor did deal with was his secretary.  After admitting to an affair with her, that pastor left the church in a state of disarray.  Tim’s job was a casualty of the reshuffling that followed.  Oak Leaf was not the first church in Cartersville at which Tim had been on staff.  He had come to Oak Leaf after leaving First Baptist Church where he had served as the youth pastor.  In his capacity there, starting in the late nineties, Tim was instructed by church leadership to make inroads with the most popular kids.  Doing so, he was told, would make other kids want to come to church.  This did not sit right with Tim.  Sensing God’s leading, Tim eventually left First Baptist, a bigger more established church, for the upstart Oak Leaf.  Tim wasn’t the kind of man who would put the popular kids first, even in the face of steady paycheck from an established church.  Tim was a man of integrity.   
Unfortunately, there is often a cost to having integrity.  Expedition Church was a relatively poor church.  As its Senior Pastor, Tim’s salary was not any more than that of his Youth Pastor salary at First Baptist.  He had effectively worked for years without a raise.  To make matters worse, Expedition’s offering revenue consistently fell behind budget.  The point came when Tim had to take a second job as a hospice chaplain to support his family.  He became a bi-vocational preacher.  I am convinced that, with his people skills and compassion, that there is not a finer hospice chaplain in all of Georgia.  I am equally convinced that the demands Tim’s new job placed on his time significantly decreased the time he had to prepare sermons and manage Expedition Church.  The pulpit suffered.  To make matters worse, the office of deacon was unfilled at the church and the other elders did not seem equipped to take turns filling the pulpit.  Tim was running himself ragged trying to take care of things with which others in the church should have been helping.  When Tim put a Roman Catholic, Robert Rogers, in the pulpit, I could no longer ignore the growing problems at Expedition.  Bad sermons were one thing.  Handing the pulpit to a member of another religion is another.   
I approached two elders with my concern that something incredibly inappropriate had taken place in our church.  Someone from an apostate church, someone who Galatians 1:8 demands be anathematized, had filled our pulpit.  One of the elders was a personal friend of Rogers.  He rebuked me for bringing up the matter.  The other elder didn’t seem to understand why a Roman Catholic should not fill the pulpit of a Baptist church.  The remaining elders were Tim’s father-in-law and a Bapticostal music minister who fed the church a steady diet of Hillsong.  Tim could provide me no assurances that a Roman Catholic would never fill the pulpit again.  I thought about bringing the matter before the church but quickly realized that it would do no good.  There was no official membership roll.  A church vote could accomplish nothing and, without a membership roll, was not feasible.  Even if a vote had been feasible, I had little confidence in the theological maturity of the congregation.  Tim intentionally kept his preaching at a sixth-grade level and Baptist distinctive were not a point of emphasis.  Could a congregation who had had no objection to movie clips and infomercials during sermon time really understand what the problem was?  Additionally, there was the sensitively of causing controversy in such a small church.  I did not think Expedition could financially afford even a small number of families leaving.  A couple of families had already left for First Baptist.  I loved Tim and I didn’t want him to suffer anymore financial hardship.  When I finally saw the church sitting contentedly through a lightsaber fight during the church service, it became clear to me that bringing the matter of the Roman Catholic preacher up would be fruitless.  A dog that can’t smell birds won’t hunt.  After the Star Wars sermon I walked out of Expedition Church and never went back.  I had come to the sad conclusion that the elders of Expedition Church simply were not qualified for their offices.  (I have since learned that a few other families had become disillusioned and left as well; each of them went to CrossPoint City Church.)    I haven’t talked to Tim in years.  I miss my friend.
Visiting Churches 
Having determined to leave Expedition Church, I set out to find my family a new church home.  I grew up in Chattanooga attending Woodland Park Baptist Church and listening to Wayne Barber preach.  My parents were married there and had been members since before I was born.  My family had gone to Woodland Park my whole life until we moved to Cartersville when I was fifteen.  I wanted to provide that kind of long-term stability for my family.  I could ill afford to make another bad choice.  My girls were getting old enough to understand what was going on at church and to make friends in their various circles.  Church certainly isn’t a venue intended for small children, most of whom are lost, to make friends.  Still, the sermons I heard Wayne Barber preach at age six stick with me until this day and I still listen to them on his podcast archive.  I also didn’t want to move my wife again.  Family stability, whether in the nuclear family or the church family, is important.  She had not been getting fed from the pulpit at Expedition and had patiently endured my faith in Tim for two years.  I wanted our family to be in a place where the Bible was proclaimed verse-by-verse on Sunday Morning.  So, I made a spreadsheet of every church in the Bartow Baptist Association and began a category by category analysis. 
The first church I visited was Pine Grove Baptist.  It is a small church directly across the street from Dellinger Park and in close proximity to our home.  Upon sitting down in the pew, I was hopeful.  The congregation and choir were singing from hymnals; there were no 7-11 songs and I could tell Pine Grove wasn’t the kind of place that would sing them.  There would be no Hillsong-style rock concert there.  When the pastor entered the pulpit, I took hold of one of the large KJV pew Bibles to follow along.   He then turned in his own Bible to the story of the prodigal son and informed the congregation that “God had given him” five principles from this story.  My countenance fell.  He then proceeded to turn the story of the Prodigal Son into a systematic treatise on free will and a Semi-Pelagian rejection of predestination.  His thinly veiled polemic against predestination included no less than three invitations, each more elaborate than the last.  Recognizing that I must have been the only new person in the small congregation, I was tempted to go forward and “get saved” all over again so that we could all go home.  I ultimately decided that it would be bad form and resolved to visit somewhere new on the next Sunday.  Somewhere new was Rowland Springs Baptist Church. 
A church website can be a useful tool for learning about a prospective church.  Beyond a simple statement of faith, many church websites include sermon archives, biographical information about the pastoral staff, and a recommended reading list.  Knowledgeable Christians can use this data to save themselves from visiting a church they would never want to join in the first place.  For example, if a church’s recommended reading list includes books by Andy Stanley or Rick Warren, then there is good reason not to view that church as a viable body.  The recommending reading list at Rowland Springs includes books by Voddie Baucham, RC Sproul, John MacArthur, and Charles Spurgeon.  To contrast, the recommended reading list at Expedition church included books by Rick Warren, Greg Laurie, Brian McLaren, Jim Cymbala, and Andy Stanley.  Sometimes who is not on the list says a lot more than who is.  When I perused the Rowland Springs reading list, I did not see any red flag authors.  Another indicator of soundness at Rowland Springs was the bio of the Adam Burrell, the Minister of Students and Families.  Adam’s website bio indicates that he has an MDiv from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and includes a picture of him in a bow-tie that would make Albert Mohler proud.  I know a Calvinist when I see one and, sure enough, that’s what Adam is.  Even though I am not a five-point Calvinist myself, that Rowland Springs had hired one to teach youth indicated to me that the kind of rank Charles-Finney-style decisionism which was present at Pine Grove and which runs rampant in some Georgia Baptist churches was not present in Rowland Springs.  That the church youth minister was seminary-educated family man indicated to me that the church was serious about teaching its youth doctrine and not merely attracting them with fun activities for the sake of winning their parents.  In hindsight, I think it may be the case that the church body is so insensitive to matters of doctrine that neither Calvinism nor Finneyism gives them any degree of concern.  That the church body has abided extensive Masonic membership indicates that the church’s standards for right belief and living are severely lacking.  Unfortunately, the Masonic membership at Rowland Springs was not something of which I was aware at the time.  After listening to the Rowland Springs Baptist sermon archives and exchanging emails with Adam, I decided Rowland Springs was worth a visit. 
Prospects 
I first visited Rowland Springs on my own.  My wife stayed behind that Sunday to take care of a sick child.  I arrived well before the Sunday School hour started.  Kelly Branton, a woman from the praise team, directed me to the Sunday School class for my age group.  I wouldn’t have known where to go had I not found her rehearsing in the sanctuary with the rest of the praise team.  I took note that Rowland Springs did not have greeters ready to meet visitors and walk them to the proper classroom.  Larger churches tend to have an entire team dedicated to doing this.  I actually found it favorable that Rowland Springs didn’t.  To me, it indicated that the church wasn’t seeker sensitive or McChurch corporate.  Not long after Kelly sat me down in the classroom designated for young marrieds, Adam Burrell walked in and directed me upstairs to a Sunday School class that he thought was more fitting for me.  It was a class entitled What Christians Believe.  It was taught by a Deacon named Doug Blankenship and it was based upon the Defenders curriculum that William Lane Craig teaches at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church.  I enjoyed the class very much.  The next week my family attended with me.  My wife insisted that we try out the young married class in order to connect with people our age and in our phase of life.  That class was team-taught by deacons named Grant McDurmond and Chris McSwain, both of whom are professional school teachers.

The man pictured here in the green shirt is Dale Hibbard, Chris McSwain’s Father-In-Law.  Dale and many members of his extended family are members of RSBC. This photo was taken at a Masonic Golf Tournament in 2016 by local Masonic Lodge officer, Tony Ross.
Grant and Chris used LifeWay material to teach their class.  It took one week for my wife and I decide to move back to the class upstairs.  Doug was a good teacher.  He was teaching systematic theology and apologetics; class discussion was meaningful.  We both enjoyed the class over the next few weeks.  It had been over a year since we were a part of a Sunday School class.  We became a regular part of the class and met some really nice people.  It wasn’t long after we first started visiting Rowland Springs that my wife experienced serious problems with a pregnancy.  I sent Doug an email from the hospital asking for prayer.  We got much more than that.  The entire class descended upon our house with meals and domestic assistance even though we weren’t church members and had only been visiting for a few weeks.  I felt like a part of the group.   
Still, I had trepidation about joining a new church after what we had experienced as members of First Baptist Church of Woodstock and Expedition Church.  I really wanted to kick the tires at RSBC.  The tires seemed pretty sturdy.  We had a great Sunday School class with great people.  The music was nearly devoid of Hillsong and featured both hymns and contemporary songs.  Joe Ringwalt was no Spurgeon but he preached fairly biblical sermons.  I noticed that he was far from a “CEO-Vision Caster” pastor.  He made his rounds each Sunday and checked on the various Sunday School rooms.  It was his church to pastor and he acted like it.  Both he and Adam took an interest in talking to me and learning about my background.  Adam even took me to lunch one day.  It was a good time.  There was an even a friendly old man who always found us in the sanctuary to shake hands and talk before the service began.  His name was Jim Moore.  As nice as he was, there was something about him that made me uneasy.  “I wonder if he is a Mason,” I thought to myself when I first met him.  There was just something about him that made me think that. 
After a couple of months, Joe and Adam began to contact me to ask about coming to my house for a visit.  We were “prospects.”  They were interested in us joining the church.  My wife had reservations about the church in general and Joe specifically and expressed her hesitancy to join the church to me.  I considered her reservations but it had been a good few months, especially in Sunday School.  One night Joe and Adam finally came over to talk to us about membership.  All parties did their due diligence.  Adam and Joe asked about our salvation experiences and church backgrounds.  I asked, and apologized for having to do so, if Joe would ever let a Roman Catholic fill the pulpit.  His answer was a resounding “no.”  He was incredulous that Tim Samples had allowed one to preach at Expedition and expressed that Roman Catholics have a “whole different theology”.  I also asked about Freemasonry in the church.  I was told that none were in leadership.  Both Joe and Adam had trouble thinking of any masons outside of a Deacon who was no longer active.  Joe expressed his derision for the Masonic craft saying that he didn’t need a “worshipful master.”  He was clear that he did not support Freemasonry.  I was strongly leaning towards joining Rowland Springs.  One thing that held me back was discovering, through perusing the Cartersville Lodge website, that Jim Moore was indeed a Freemason.  The website displayed a picture of Jim proudly receiving his fifty year Mason award.  I showed Adam the picture and asked him if he knew of anymore Masons.  He said he did not.  Adam had been at the church for years and was the Minister of Families.  I figured he was knowledgeable enough.  I wasn’t going to let one Mason stop me from joining what seemed like a very good church.  Besides, the pastor had strongly communicated to me that he did not support Freemasonry.  Unfortunately, as I came to find out later, Jim was not alone.

The 2018 Officers of the Cartersville Masonic Lodge include Jim Moore, Freddie Gunn, and Frankie James. All are members of RSBC.
 A Short Treatise on Southern Baptist Sunday School 
Adult Sunday School classes at Southern Baptist Churches almost universally make use of the LifeWay Explore the Bible Sunday School quarterly.  Explore the Bible is produced and sold by the Southern Baptist Convention’s publishing arm, LifeWay Christian Resources.  One needn’t be particularly conversant in Biblical theology and history to “teach” canned lessons from the LifeWay Sunday School material.  Lessons include prefabricated, open-ended questions for the “teacher” to read to his class.  In effect many Southern Baptist Sunday School teachers are essentially lesson facilitators who serve in a quasi-pastoral role.  Age and marital-status-based Sunday School groups effectively become little churches within a larger church.  The Sunday School teacher is expected to lead his “little church” into growing the “big church” through reaching out to his particular demographic.  In return for his service, the Sunday School teacher garners influence in the community.  Actual learning may or may not occur; some teachers are better than others. 
A former Sunday School teacher of mine personifies the quintessential Southern Baptist Sunday School “facilitator.”  His name is Matthew Gambill.  Matthew “taught” the young marrieds class at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Cartersville when my wife and I were members there many years ago.  Matthew was a Methodist Republican politician who married a Baptist Republican politician and ended up teaching Sunday School in a Baptist church.  Matthew is a well-educated, service-minded, nice person who seems generally devoid of a systematic understanding of the Scriptures.  When I was in his class, he basically read LifeWay at us for half an hour each Sunday morning.  If he was asked a question about the material, he struggled to find the answer.  He was once unable to explain to a class member what a “heavenly host” was.  Worse yet, he seemed completely indifferent about the ordinance of baptism.  I remember vividly being a part of a conversation about Baptism with Matthew and another class member at a Sunday School party.  The class member was from Europe and had a reformed, paedobaptist background.  He was lamenting the fact that he had to “re-baptized” by immersion in order to join Tabernacle with his wife.  Matthew sympathized and told him that he had to do the same thing.  Instead of explaining the importance of believer’s Baptism to the class member, Matthew merely pointed out the pragmatism of not arguing about the requirement.  It dawned upon me that the Methodists in our town tend to be Democrats.  Matthew is running for the State Congress this year.  I suppose I’ll vote for him. 
Rowland Springs: Joining and Teaching 
It is very unusual to join a new church and be appointed as a Sunday School teacher the very same week.  Yet, this unique occurrence is exactly what happened when I joined Rowland Springs Baptist Church.  The What Christians Believe Sunday School class was somewhat unique itself.  The What Christians Believe Sunday School class at Rowland Springs was not age-stratified or based on Lifeway material.  It was a multi-generational class.  Ages ranged from middle-school aged to middle-aged.  There were teenagers who came with their parents, women with unchurched husbands (a notoriously difficult to place Sunday School demographic), and married couples.  The class curriculum was a survey of Systematic Theology.  When I first arrived at RSBC, the class was taught by a deacon named Doug Blankenship.  Doug, an accountant by trade, had a formal theological education.  Doug was not a local politician or small-business owner.  In addition to being a well-educated, service-minded, nice person, Doug was a true teacher who understood the class material.  When I first came to Rowland Springs, I had been out of Sunday School for two years.  I very much enjoyed being a part of Doug’s class.  It was worth waking up to get to it on time.  Doug took a job in Texas as I was in the process of joining the church.  Even though I was a new member of the church, I was a long-time member of the class.  Like Doug, I was formally theologically educated.  My fellow class members recommended to the pastor that I be given teaching responsibilities.  I was more than happy to accept them.  My short time teaching the What Christians Believe was a rewarding one.  I loved preparing the lesson every week.  I was very happy to be serving in Rowland Springs Baptist Church body.  There was just one small matter that nagged at me.  There was a church member in a cult and no one, including the pastor, seemed to have a problem with it.  This was a grave matter indeed.  I struggled with how to approach it.  Quite frankly I didn’t want to.  I was quite content teaching my little class, an oasis of learning and biblical discussion in a LifeWay world.  Saying something to Jim Moore about being a Freemason would no doubt be uncomfortable.  I continued to research Freemasonry and even published a few blog articles about it.  I knew it was a cult and a scourge but I still didn’t say anything to Jim. 
Fred Gunn Jr and the Newspaper 
It was December of 2016.  I arrived home from work and there, at the end of my driveway, was a newspaper that I hadn’t ordered.  The previous resident of my home was an older gentleman and I was still receiving his newspaper subscription.  Being a child of the digital age, I don’t usually peruse printed newspapers.  When I receive a newspaper at my house, I walk to the recycling bin, slide the paper out of its plastic sleeve, remove the Arby’s coupons, and trash the rest.  On this particular day, I broke with my normal habit and decided to flip through the pages of the paper.  Within I found the obituary of Fred Gunn, Jr.  He had died at age 85.  I had never met him before but I had heard his name at church and knew that he had been sick.

In this photo from the Cartersville Masonic Lodge, RSBC church member (since deceased) Fred Gunn Jr (father of Freddie Gunn) receives a 60 Year Mason Award.
Fred’s obituary noted the following: 
“He was a veteran of the National Guard, a member of the Cartersville Masonic Lodge #63 F&M for sixty years, and a member of Rowland Springs Baptist Church…Internment will be private.  The Bartow County Sheriff’s Department will serve as Honor Guard and the Cartersville Lodge will be in charge of Masonic Rites.” 
“Masonic Rites,” I read the words alongside the name of my own church with embarrassment.  My own church was burying a member who chose to go into the ground in front of his friends and family with pagan funeral rites.  Jim Moore was an old man and a fifty-year Mason.  He could very soon meet his Maker, unrepentant of his paganism.  To my shame, I had said nothing to him about Freemasonry.  Here I was writing blog articles and making Facebook posts about Freemasonry being a cult while not exhibiting the resolve to speak up in my own church.  Fred Gunn’s obituary marked the last day I would ignore Freemasonry at Rowland Springs Baptist Church.  I knew that as long as there was one Freemason in my church that it was unholy.  I had to take action, scripture demanded as much.  I threw away the newspaper as Ephesians 5:11burned in my mind.  The Holy Spirit was convicting me. 

In this photo, RSBC Church member Jim Moore is named “Honorable Past Master”. With him are RSBC members Frankie James and Alton Kay (now a former member). Kay, an ordained deacon of RSBC was the Worshipful Master of the Lodge in 2017.
Part Two of this article is forthcoming…
[Contributed by: Seth Dunn]
*Please note that the preceding is my personal opinion. It is not necessarily the opinion of any entity by which I am employed, any church at which I am a member, any church which I attend, or the educational institution at which I am enrolled. Any copyrighted material displayed or referenced is done under the doctrine of fair use.

SOUTHERN BAPTISTS & THEIR (TAINTED) REPORTS ON FREEMASONRY, 1993-2000

SOUTHERN BAPTISTS & THEIR (TAINTED) REPORTS ON FREEMASONRY, 1993-2000 
SEE: http://pulpitandpen.org/2018/04/25/southern-baptists-tainted-reports-freemasonry-1993-2000/; republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
Pulpit & Pen will be writing much on Freemasonry in coming days, weeks and months. If all goes well, we plan on hosting a conference on the topic in the Atlanta area. I’ll let P&P contributor, Seth Dunn, talk more about his church excommunicating him for little more than teaching and warning about Freemasonry. Let it suffice to say for now that I’m well aware of Dunn’s actions, his (successful and honorable) attempt to follow our Lord’s advice in Matthew 18 regarding interchurch conflict and confrontation with sin, and his church’s deplorable actions. I’ll provide a summary below, but more details will come out in coming days.
The summary is basically this; over the course of two years, Dunn has repeatedly followed Biblical protocol in discussing Freemasonry within his church, which is overseen by deacons who have Masonic ties or are Freemasons themselves. Dunn approached these men individually, and also approached the pastor, who told Dunn that if he addressed Freemasonry within the church in his capacity as pastor, he would be fired. Dunn, who is a Certified Public Accountant and seminary graduate, had his Sunday School teaching position removed at the church. He continued to speak out about the religion of Freemasonry and how it conflicts with Christianity, including doing formal lecture by invitation. Dunn’s pastor and deacons then began to quietly and secretly ask for Dunn to leave the church. Dunn refused to leave the church, unless he was publicly removed from membership by a vote of the congregation (which is usually my advice, that the vote might be upon the congregation’s conscience and so that what is done in the dark may come to the light). The Freemasons and deacons continued to intimidate Dunn and make it very clear he was unwelcome. Dunn also exposed a number of high-ranking Masons in churches throughout his county in Georgia. It’s then that outside pressure from other churches, Freemasons, and even the Baptist association began to pressure Dunn’s pastor to remove him from membership in the congregation. When asked his sin, Dunn was not satisfactorily answered. I have heard the audio of the meeting in which Dunn repeatedly asked his sin, in which “zealousness” was mentioned as the only explanation (their Baptist church covenant requires zealousness of its church membership). Dunn mailed a copy of a book about Freemasonry to members of the congregation, which appears to have been the final straw for the Freemason-controlled congregation. Ultimately, some of the deacons “joked” about needing a gun to deal with him, one Masonic church member spit at him, and when the church voted to remove him, it had the Baptist Association attorney present to help with the ordeal.  When Dunn was leaving the church property peaceably after the meeting, they had two police units on standby the escort him off the premises. I have been monitoring the situation for some time, and have watched Dunn serve as an exemplary church member who had done everything Biblically in dealing with the false religion in his church and among the Baptists of Bartow County. And, I’ve seen his treatment by Rowland Springs Baptist Church.
Again, we will be writing/speaking more about this affair. And, if you live in the Atlanta area, you can attend a conference on this topic I will personally be hosting at a public venue (and yes, we will name names of Freemasons in the local area who are serving in their Baptist churches). We are also inviting former Freemasons who left the cult when they became born-again believers. In the meantime, I wanted to give a few historical resources to educate Baptists on the torrid relationship between Freemasons and Southern Baptists, in particular.
In 1993, the Interfaith Witness Department of the Home Mission Board (now North American Mission Board) completed a study into the relationship between Freemasonry and Southern Baptists. The study was submitted and reviewed by the Executive Council of the Home Mission Board, the Board of Director’s Administration Committee, and the Board of Directors for the Home Mission Board. It was then approved by the Board of Directors for the Home Mission Board and distributed by the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention. The document itself was an atrocious mess of contradiction.
The document “commends” the Masonic Order (it uses that actual word) for its various practices that are charitable, including Shiner’s Hospitals, drug and alcohol awareness help, and its nursing homes. It also acknowledges that “many fine Southern Baptists” have been Masons, including prominent names like B.H. Carroll and George W. Truett. It then recognizes Masonic practices that are “compatible” with Christianity, including rites that mention “Jehovah,” a reference to Jesus in the Masonic rites of Alabama, or the Lodge cornerstone-laying ceremony that seems to reference a nebulous higher power that some might interpret as the Christian God. However, the report that “many tenets and teachings of Freemasonry are not compatible with Christianity or Southern Baptist doctrine,” and include blasphemous titles for their leaders, sacrilegious titles for God (including calling God “Abaddon,” which is the name of a demon from the book of Revelation), beliefs that are “undeniably pagan” (their words), and sinister oaths.

Read that really carefully and tell us if that makes ANY SENSE.
Amazingly – in every sense of the word amazing – and in spite of the report’s findings, it says that membership in Freemasonry is “a matter of Christian conscience.” Occultic or pagan worship, obviously, is not a matter of Christian conscience. This document, unfortunately, laid the groundwork for widespread indifference on the subject of Freemasonry for Southern Baptists. You can find the document uploaded to our servers here.
Now, if it seems strange to you that the report would – on one hand – acknowledge the heresies of Freemasonry and – on the other hand – say being a member in the Lodge was a matter of personal conscience, it is. In fact, there’s a whole side of this story you probably don’t know.
The individual heading up the report and study for the Home Mission Board was Dr. Gary Leazer, who was supposed to create an unbiased review. In reality, Leazer was a clandestine Freemason, or at least working clandestinely with Freemasons in order to generate a report that would affirm Freemasons as Baptists. A letter was leaked to the Home Mission Board from Leazer to his Lodge friends, in which he made disparaging remarks about people trying to find out the truth about Masonry (including the Home Mission Board) and game-planning how to create the most Freemason-friendly report possible. In fact, Leazer had given speeches at Freemason events, demonstrating that he himself was a Freemason (source link).
As reported by David Anderson in the Columbus Dispatch on November 6, 1993, Home Mission Board president, Larry Lewis, then asked for Leazer’s resignation in late October of 1993 for “gross insubordination” after reading a particularly damning Freemason speech transcript from Lezer in August 8 of that year. However, the work from Leazer was already done and accepted by the Home Mission Board and the report allowed to stand in its entirety, in spite of it coming from a Freemason himself! The Freemason Scottish Rite Journal published a comment, “this [vote was the] significant turning point for modern Freemasonry.”” (August 1993, pages 3-6).
There was outrage throughout the Southern Baptist Convention toward the report, considering that it generally acknowledged that Freemasonry teaches “Universalism” (the belief everyone goes to Heaven, with or without Jesus). It was generally not well reported at the time that the report had been compromised by a clandestine Freemason heading it up.
In damage control, the Home Mission Board posted the following in the Baptist Press.
HMB directors clarify statement on Freemasonry
ATLANTA (BP) – Home Mission Board directors adopted a statement to clarify their stand on universalism. The original statement came from the administrative committee and was adopted by the full board. The text of the motion follows:
“In light of all questions that have arisen and confusion concerning Freemasonry, and the recommendation that was made to the Southern Baptist convention by the Home Mission Board and in order that there be no misinterpretation, the Board of Directors wish to reiterate the longstanding position of the HMB on the subject of universalism: Whether it be the teaching of a religious body, a fraternal order, or an individual, the universalist plan for human redemption is unbiblical and heretical, and we oppose the embrace or perpetuation of any such teaching.
“It has never been the intention of the HMB to suggest that individual Southern Baptists may feel justified in affiliating with such teaching on the basis of personal conscience. Rather, we would call upon fellow Southern Baptists to never embrace or perpetuate such heresy.
“In the spirit of the above, and in light of the leadership of the Holy Spirit, the Lordship of Christ, the teachings of Scripture, and the findings of the report, then personal conscience may be used.”
However, in the year 2000, another report was commissioned. Ironically, it was commissioned to the same agency, the Home Mission Board, which had taken on the name North American American Mission Board (NAMB). A motion by Russ Kaemmerling of DeSoto, Texas, at the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting in 1999 led to NAMB issuing a new report on Freemasonry. It was entitled, A Closer Look at Freemasonry, and was again put out by the Interfaith Evangelism Team of NAMB. One wonders why just 6 years after the original report was given, the same organization would find a new report necessary.
You can see that “clarifying statement” here.
While acknowledging the “many charitable endeavors” of Freemasonry, the pamphlet also expands on eight “tenets and teachings” of Freemasonry that were found to be “incompatible with Christianity” in a controversial report on Freemasonry approved by the Southern Baptist Convention in 1993.
William Gordon spoke to the Baptist Press on behalf of the committee, saying, “We decided to write this piece that would expand a little further on some of the things that were stated in the report on Freemasonry. Rudy Gonzalez, the director of the interfaith evangelism team, added, “The document is not condemning in any way, but simply seeks to put information out so that individuals can arrive at informed conclusions about what they ultimately believe about these organizations.”
According to this report, Freemasonry is incompatible with Christianity in that it:
1) “Freemasonry uses offensive, non-biblical, and blasphemous terms relating to God.”
2) “Freemasonry insists on the use of ‘bloody oaths’ or obligation, which are strictly forbidden by the Bible.
3) “Freemasonry urges that occultic and/or pagan readings be used, and that their teachings be appropriated in interpreting such concepts as the Trinity.”
4) “Freemasonry includes the Bible as part of the ‘furniture of the lodge,’ but only as an equal with non-Christian symbols and writings.”
5) “Freemasonry misuses the term ‘light’ to refer to moral “reformation” as a means to salvation.”
6) “Freemasonry teaches that salvation may be attained by ‘good works’ and not through faith in Christ alone.”
7) “Freemasonry advocates in many of its writings the non-biblical teachings of universalism.”
8) “In some of its lodges, Freemasonry discriminates against non-whites.”
The report suggested, “Taking the above into consideration, and being consistent with our denomination’s historic deep convictions regarding both the priesthood of the believer and the autonomy of the local church, we recommend that each individual Baptist, as well as each congregation, carefully review the issues of the teachings and practices of Freemasonry. Since, in the final analysis, the Bible alone is the only guide for faith and practice, issues related to Freemasonry and any other fraternal organizations, especially secret societies, must be evaluated only in light of the plumb line of Scripture.”
You can find the report uploaded to our servers here.
[Editor’s Note: This is one in a series of posts on the topic. Up next, we’ll look at how other denominations have dealt with Freemasonry; Audio from Dunn’s meeting with the Deacons of Rowland Springs Baptist Church is below; contributed by JD Hall]

TENNESSEE: A SOUTHERN BAPTIST PASTOR REPENTS OF FREEMASONRY

A PASTOR REPENTS OF FREEMASONRY 
SEE: http://pulpitandpen.org/2018/03/22/pastor-repents-freemasonry/; republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
The following testimony was provided by a former Freemason:
My name is Richard Mann.  I am a native of Clarksville, Tennessee.  I am member of Pleasant View Baptist Church.  I am an ordained Southern Baptist Minister.  I am a former member of Queen City Masonic Lodge No. 761.  Conviction from the Holy Spirit caused me to leave Freemasonry.
 At the time my mother was pregnant with me, my parents were struggling financially because my father had been laid off from his job.  After a particular shopping trip, my parents passed by a group of Shriners collecting money for their charities (Shriners are an appendant body of Freemasonry).  My father drove down the road for about a mile before stopping and remarking to my mother that he felt led to donate to the Shriners; he turned the car around gave the Shriners the last three dollars he and my mom had.  “We might someday need help,” he told my mother.  That day came very soon.  I was born with a major heart defect which required surgery.  I spent two months in Vanderbilt hospital receiving treatment.  My daddy’s insurance paid very little of our massive medical bill.  It just so happened that the Shriners came to the hospital and asked its administrators to pick a family that needed help.  The hospital administrators picked my family and the Shriners paid our medical debt in full. 
 When I grew up, I was ordained as a pastor in a Southern Baptist Church.   
 One of my very close friends was an older gentleman and a Freemason.  He began to tell me about the lodge.  One thing led to another and I found myself at two different Masonic meetings being examined for membership in the Lodge.  I was found worthy to become a Freemason.  I am not only a pastor but a born-again Christian indwelled by the Holy Spirit.  During every one of these meetings, the Spirit was advising me not to get mixed up in Freemasonry.  Unfortunately, Masonry lured me in through my interest in history.  Before answering the call to the ministry, I wanted to be a history professor.  The history of the Masonic Lodge, or “the Craft” as they call it, intrigued me.  I loved the history of the Lodge and was impressed by all the famous people who had been members.  Seminary professors and even American Presidents had been Masons and I could be one, too.  So, I disregarded the pleading of the Spirit and joined the Masonic Lodge.
Entering my first degree, the “Entered Apprentice” degree, was a strange experience.  I found myself in a room with two Masonic brethren.  They dressed me in the way an Entered Apprentice should dress and told me what an Entered Apprentice should say for the initiation ceremony.  I memorized all the answers that I was required to know and learned what I was told to learn.  I was particularly struck by the part of the ceremony that involved the Bible.  I was brought blindfolded (or “hoodwinked” as the Masons say) before an altar.  My hand was placed the Holy Bible, the square, and the compass (in the Lodge, these three items are referred to as “the furniture of the lodge”).  When the Masons took off my blindfold, I saw my hands placed upon the Bible, the square, and the compass while my knee and leg formed a right triangle.  This part of the ceremony was meant to make me understand the significance of the great light and the three lesser lights.  The Worshipful Master then led me in my first Masonic blood/death oath.   Please bear with me as I try to recall it in writing.  It has been a while since I said it and, frankly, I have tried to forget it.  I swore that I would not knowingly give out any of the secrets, parts, or points of the “Entered Apprentice degree” under no less a penalty than having my throat cut from ear to ear, my tongue torn out by the root and buried in the ground where the tide ebbs and flows in every 24 hours.”  All this was done with the outstretched hands of the brothers pointed towards me in the dark.
The Holy Spirit was convicting me the whole time, asking me why I knelt at an altar before for a Worshipful Master when the only man worthy of worship was Jesus Christ.  I shrugged it off.  I found myself in the same place taking the second degree, “Fellow Craft.”  In that degree, one has to do more of the work of preparing for the ceremony and take another oath.  Again, I swore before the Worshipful Master to keep the secrets of the degree, this time “under no less a penalty than to have my body severed in two, my chest torn open, and my entrails placed on the highest point of the temple where the birds of the air would feed on them.”  Soon after, I completed the work for the third degree, “Master Mason.”  This degree is the big one.  Once more, I swore before the Worshipful Master to keep the secrets of the degree, in this case, “under no less a penalty than having my body severed in half, my entrails burned, and my ashes scattered to the four winds.”  I was prepared as a man named “Hiram Abiff,” who is, according to Masonic lore, the architect of Solomon’s temple.  I was symbolically killed by three ruffians, played by other Masonic brethren, for refusing to give them the secrets of Masonry.  I laid “dead” on the temple floor (all Masonic lodges are intended as replicas of Solomon’s temple) until I was symbolically raised by King Solomon, played by the Worshipful Master.  This is what it means to be “raised a Master Mason.”  I was then taught the secret word, “Mah-Ha-Bone,” and the stance of a Master Mason.
After that, boy, I could do anything in the Lodge and nothing was said or judged because I was a Master Mason.  I learned more and more about my secret craft and was told I could go higher in the lodge.  One particular branch of Masonry, is called “Royal Arch Masonry.”  The highest degree in that branch is “Knight Templar.”  I studied that branch.  I also studied the Scottish Rite branch, which is only for Masons of the highest (32nd) degree.  I will not go into the death/blood oaths of those branches but they have them.  To the neglect of my Bible studies, I became proficient in many degrees of Freemasonry as well as the history of the Craft.  Eventually, I was asked to give a lecture of the ancient history of Freemasonry.  Of course I said yes!  I was free to include in the lecture whatever I saw fit with the understanding that the content of my presentation had to be approved by the Worshipful Master before it was taught to the brethren.
For my lecture, I traced the practice of Freemasonry back to Babylon.  I noted that technically and historically, Freemasonry and the New Testament Church were not compatible.  I demonstrated this by providing scripture that contradicted the claims and practices of Freemasonry.  The Worshipful Master told me to destroy my lesson and never speak of it again; although I was of a higher degree that he (he was only a 3rd degree mason), he held the authority over me in the lodge as “Master” to give this command.  Another man ended up giving the history lecture.  As part of his lesson, he claimed that the result of God confusing the language of mankind at Babel was that some cultures now connected to God through Buddha, Muhammad, and Jesus.  In other words, he was claiming that there was one God known by different names in different languages and religions.  I took great offense at his twisting of scripture and lying to all the men listening to his lecture; I could not stand for it.  I could ignore the conviction of the Holy Spirit no longer.
God pulled me out of the lodge and gave me a hatred for the Masonic system; not the men in the Lodge but the false doctrine they proclaim. The Lord Jesus said “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”  If you are a Christian and are practicing Freemasonry, please pray and study.  Your eyes will be open to the lies of Satan.  Listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit telling you to get out of the Lodge.  Contact me and I will give you scripture against the Lodge.
After ending my involvement in Masonry, I felt alone and scared.  For the first time, I felt God was not moving in my life.  I stood one Sunday morning, prayed, and renounced Masonry and all my death/blood oaths.  When I finished preaching and left the pulpit, I went out to a water fountain and busted out crying.  Yes, you can be a Christian and a mason, but you will do it without the approval of God and against the witness of the Holy Spirit.  I beg you to get out of the lodge.  Repent of all of it; it’s hard but you can do it.
I am happy to say I am no longer a Freemason!
[Edited by: Seth Dunn]
Editors Note:  If you have a Christian testimony about leaving Freemasonry, please love your brethren by warning them and by submitting your testimony to talkback@pulpitandpen.org.



FREEMASONS SPEARHEAD EFFORT TO GATHER CHILDREN’S BIO-DATA & DNA

 MoKIDS
 http://mochip.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/MoCHIP.kids_.jpg
FREEMASONS SPEARHEAD EFFORT TO GATHER CHILDREN’S BIO-DATA & DNA 
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
 

It sounds conspiratorial, no doubt. But sometimes the truth is
stranger than fiction. As though the Freemasons weren’t creepy enough,
they’re sponsoring a program to help collect the bio-data of children
and store it away for future reference. Nothing to see here, Citizen.
Move along.

The program is called MoChip, and it’s designed as a public outreach
campaign of the Freemasons in Missouri to help with missing or exploited
children. It has also become a nation-wide program, extending much
further than Missouri.

According to MoChip’s website, it is “a comprehensive
child identification program designed to give Missouri families a
measure of protection against the ever increasing problem of missing and
abducted children. MoCHIP stands for Missouri Child Identification
and Protection Program. The program uses an Amber Alert compatible
computer disc to provide their child’s critical  information to the
parents. Microchips are NOT used in the program.

Here, a toddler’s fingerprints are being digitally copied by helpful freemasons.

So, no microchips. Whew. Close one.

What the program does do, however, is collect the digital
photographs, digital fingerprints, DNA mouth-swabs and dental
information from children and they store it on a mini-CD computer disk
to be given to the police when a child goes missing or is abducted. The
Freemasons claim that they do not keep the data, that their computers
are not connected to the Internet and cannot be ‘hacked,’ and that
they’re not retaining the data collected.

According to their website…

MoCHIP operates under the direct sponsorship of the
Missouri Masonic Children’s Foundation, which is recognized as a
501(c)(3) not-for profit by the Internal Revenue Service. It is
supported in a number of ways–Masonic member donations, Masonic Lodge
donations, corporate partnerships, and individual donations–as well as
many other private organization donations, Masonic and not Masonic
related.

You can see the permission slip provided to parents here.

This program is not a new one. It has been going on for ten years and has taken the biodata from 237,115 children to date.

According
to news outlets, claims that the Masonic CHIP program promises not to
keep the information is speculative and spurious. The Huffington Post
reports…

They claim their services are superior to what a parent
could accomplish at home, by recording the children’s data personally
and providing their own “health care professionals”
to collect their DNA samples. These are either hired hands who answer
to the Freemasons or members of the fraternity whose history and
credentials are protected by the organization. There is no way to
guarantee what happens behind closed doors and although they claim to
delete sensitive information (the Canadian website states “No
information is ever stored by the MasoniChIP program”), any computer
savvy person knows that clicking an “x” isn’t permanent unless you
format the entire system…Parents are asked to trust an intriguing,
private fraternity; to ensure that quality standards are met and family
privacy is legally respected without any kind of oversight. Because
Freemasons fund 100 per cent of the initiative, there is no opportunity
to discuss issues regarding data ownership or how they feel about those
technicalities in the privacy of their meetings.

O’ DEATH: RALPH STANLEY’S FUNERAL PROVIDES INSIGHT INTO THE RELIGION OF FREEMASONRY~UNIVERSALIST “PRIMITIVE BAPTIST” ALSO A MASON

 http://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/newsadvance.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/69/5694ca51-50c0-5514-b288-90378a0fbd54/57739a5dd3c12.image.jpg?resize=960%2C619
O’ DEATH: RALPH STANLEY’S FUNERAL PROVIDES INSIGHT INTO THE RELIGION OF FREEMASONRY 
BY SETH DUNN
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
 
“Freemasonry has
a religious service to commit the body of a deceased brother to the dust
whence it came, and to speed the liberated spirit back to the Great
Source of Light. Many Freemasons make this flight with no other
guarantee of a safe landing other than their belief in the religion of
Freemasonry” Henry Wilson Coil, Coil’s Masonic Encyclopedia

The issue of whether or not Freemasonry is a “religion” has for years been a hotly debated topic
among critics of the Craft and its apologists.  Critics of Freemasonry,
supported by the writings of Masonic authors such as Coil and Mackey,
argue that Freemasonry is, in fact, religious.  Having arrived at that
conclusion its critics argue that Freemasonry is fundamentally
incompatible with Christian faith and practice; for a Christian to have
more than one religion or to participate in a spiritual enterprise which
contradicts Biblical teachings is to engage in sinful syncretism.  The
defenders of the Lodge argue that, although Freemasonry requires its
adherents to believe in a Supreme Being, the Craft is not a religion. 
Instead, they argue that Masonry is a universal Brotherhood which
includes members of many different religions and is not a religion in
and of itself.  Given that Freemasons publically disagree amongst
themselves as to whether or not Freemasonry is a religion, Christians
are wise to examine the Masonic evidence for themselves and form their
own conclusions.  Unfortunately, because Freemasonry is a secret
society, such evidence can be hard to find.  Perhaps the best source of
evidence for the Masonic belief that is available to the public is the
Masonic funeral ceremony.  The Masonic funeral rite, to which every Master Mason is entitled,
is often performed in public and in front of non-Masons.  In 2016,
beloved bluegrass and gospel singer Ralph Stanley died at the age of
89.  Stanley was a Master Mason and Shriner.  His funeral service, which
included the Masonic funeral rite, has been posted on YouTube. 
Stanley’s provides a very public glimpse into the spiritual nature of
Freemasonry.
According to his obituary,
Stanley was “of the Primitive Baptist faith”.  Thus, it should come as
no surprise that his funeral service was “given unto God” in a prayer
which was made in the name of Jesus.  After this prayer, the funeral was
turned over to the Masonic Lodge in order for Stanley’s Masonic
brethren to perform the Masonic funeral rite over his body.  During the
rite, the Masonic speaker presented several symbols of spiritual
significance, one of which was an evergreen that was, according to the
Mason, a symbol of “Masonic faith”.  At no time during the Masonic rite,
which contained references to the divine and to the “general
resurrection” of the dead was the name of Jesus mentioned.  Stanley was
referred to as “Brother Ralph.”  A prayer was offered by the Masons. 
Much Biblical language was utilized during the rite but at no time was
the rite overtly “Christian”.  Mention was made of Stanley’s standing
before “his god”.

After the Masonic rite ended, Stanley’s obituary was read and the
funeral proceeded.  Observers, especially Christian observers, could be
led to believe that the Masonic rite was inherently Christian.  It was
performed after a non-Mason convened the funeral service in the name of
Jesus and contained many biblical and spiritual allusions.  However, the
rite is fundamentally non-Christian in nature.  This is because any
Master Mason, whether or not he is a Christian, is entitled to the same
funeral rite.  For this reason, the Masonic rite cannot have any mention
of the name of the Christian God, Jesus Christ.  At the same time, the
rite is fundamentally religious.  It makes mention of the afterlife, the
deceased’s relationship with “his god”, the resurrection of the dead,
and spiritual purity.  No one can argue with any credibility that a
funeral service opened with a prayer in Jesus’ name is not a
fundamentally religious exercise.  At the same time, no one can argue
with any credibility that a funeral rite, performed at that same
service, which itself contained a prayer, is not a fundamentally
religious exercise.  If Freemasonry is not religious, why then does it
have a funeral rite with which to begin?  That Freemasonry is a form of
“church” is implicitly apparent in practices and the actions of its
adherents.  Very telling was the request of Stanley’s family to send
donations in lieu of flowers, not to Stanley’s Primitive Baptist Church
or a Christian missions organization, but to the Shriner’s hospital.

Christians with Masonic relatives, whom they know to be “good”
church-going persons, are often taken aback at the revelation that
Freemasonry is a religion and is incompatible with Christian faith and
practice.  Rather than judge Masonry by the standard of biblical
teaching, they judge the craft by the affections they have for their
loved one.  Christians should do well to remember that everyone in Hell
is someone’s loved one.  Christians would also do well to remember that
Masonry espouses universalism,
teaching that a man can go to Heaven without a saving relationship with
Jesus Christ.  Fans of Ralph Stanley’s gospel music may be surprised to
learn that Stanley was himself a Universalist.  Not only was he a
Freemason but his particular strain of Primitive Baptist faith
is a Universalist one.  Thus, it’s no surprise that Stanley was
comfortable as a member of Clintwood Masonic Lodge #66 and the Kazim
Shrine in Roanoke, Virginia.  Christians who know of fellow-church
members who are Freemasons should ask themselves why the Masons they
know feel at home both in their church and in the lodge.  The answer
could be startling.

For more on Freemasonry see this link.

 ______________________________________________________
SEE ALSO:
 Good Masons and Dead Masons: 
Euharlee Lodge #457 F&AM

FREEMASONRY: IDOLATRY OR ENCOURAGER OF IDOLATRY?

FREEMASONRY: IDOLATRY OR ENCOURAGER OF IDOLATRY?
BY SETH DUNN
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
 
“From
this day forth I am going to be a man of God; if that splits the
church, then so be it. If the church wants to vote me out, then so be
it. When I was 17, I prayed that God would make me a dangerous man for
Jesus. I am publicly renewing that prayer today. Pastor, you and I know
that one of the things blocking revival in this church . . . is
Freemasonry.” —James Holly, to the congregation of Calvary Baptist Church.

In
the early 1990s, a Texas layman and medical doctor named James L. Holly
brought the practice of Freemasonry to the forefront of Southern
Baptist discourse. For months, Holly had been preparing and
disseminating anti-Masonic tracts to Southern Baptist churches across
the country. Being firmly convinced that the principles and rituals of
Freemasonry made the Craft incompatible with the Christian faith, Holly proposed a resolution
recommending a study of Freemasonry at the 1992 Southern Baptist
Convention. Much controversy ensued. This was no surprise to Holly, who estimated that the Masonic membership of the Southern Baptist Convention was between 500,000 and 1,300,000. Southern Baptist polling indicated that 14
percent of pastors and 18 percent of church deacon chairmen interviewed
were or had been Masonic lodge members. Over and against the
proclamations of Holly, Masons sought to prove that the practice of
Freemasonry was not incompatible with a Christian life. In response to
the Southern Baptist investigation, Freemasons sought to provide
apologetics for their activities. A number of such apologetics were
printed in the February 1993 edition of The Northern Light, which heralds itself as “the premier magazine of Scottish Rite Masonry in America. This particular edition of The Northern Light is almost entirely dedicated to refuting the claims of Dr. Holly. Ironically, a Q&A article from this edition entitled “The Conscience and the Craft: Questions on religion and Freemasonry” provides discerning Christians with further evidence that the Masonic and Christian worldviews are incompatible.

Many
critics of Freemasonry, such as Holly, contend that Freemasonry is a
religion in and of itself and therefore is incompatible with
Christianity. By definition, practicing a religion other than
Christianity is idolatry and practicing Christianity in conjunction with an additional religion is syncretism.
Given that Freemasons build “temples”, pray in their lodges to “The
Grand Architect of the Universe”, and engage in spiritual ceremonies
such as funeral rites, there is a strong argument for concluding that
Freemasonry is a religion. If Freemasonry is a religion, then
participation in it is inherently sinful and Christians must not
practice it. If Freemasonry is a religion, then it’s just plain
idolatry.

But is Freemasonry truly a religion?

Some Freemasons have reached come to the conclusion that is is. However, the majority of Masons
deny that Freemasonry is a religion. Which Masons have the correct
answer to this crucial question? The previously referenced article from The Northern Light provides
a simple answer – “It doesn’t matter”. Freemasonry is incompatible with
Christianity either way. Either Freemasonry is idolatry or it
encourages idolatry. Either way, it’s sinful. Consider these words from
the article:

“Masons encourage their members to worship in their individual faiths, we most certainly do not oppose any faith.”

A
member of any religion may apply for membership in the Masonic lodge.
Thus worldwide Masonic membership can include men of Christian, Islamic,
Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Mormon, and Deist faith. Masonry, therefore,
not only “encourages” the worship of Christ but false gods such as
Allah. All worship that is not Christian worship is counterfeit worship.
Freemasonry encourages and does not oppose such worship. Jesus Christ said, “He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters. (Matt. 12:30)”
A Christian can never countenance or encourage false worship. For
American Christians, it is one thing to respect the constitutional right
of Americans to religious liberty but quite another to encourage a
non-Christian to engage in religious activity that is offensive to God.
Christians are commissioned to call all men to repent of their sin and
submit to the Lordship of Christ. The Christian posture is one opposed
to all religions except that of Christ. This is not the posture of the
Masonic lodge, which not only peacefully tolerates false religion but encourages its practice.  Christian
Freemasons, rather than merely passively supporting religious liberty,
actively seek membership in an organization that encourages any form of
monotheistic religious expression.

The Apostle Paul condemned idolatry in his epistle to the Romans. Paul not only condemned idolaters but those who gave approval to idolatry.


“And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God
gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not
proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil;
full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips,
slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of
evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy,
unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that
those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the
same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.”

Freemasonry
is either a religion and is, therefore, idolatrous, or it is not a
religion but encourages the practice of false religions and the worship
of false gods. Neither option is acceptable before the true and living
God. Christians should, like James Holly, endeavor to purge their
churches and denominations of Freemasons. Christian Freemasons should
repent of their participation in Freemasonry and remove themselves from
the Lodge.  James Holly was voted out of his own local church for his
biblical stand. Like Holly, Christians who follow his example may be
voted out of their own churches for calling Masons to repent.  Many
Freemasons are respected members of Southern Baptist Churches, even
Deacons. Bringing up the Masonic issue may cause division or even a
church split.  So be it.

Such may be the cost of revival.

“For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and in part I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you.” 1 Corinthians 11:18-19

DEAR CHRISTIAN MASON: A RESOURCE FOR ADDRESSING MASONRY IN YOUR LOCAL CHURCH

DEAR CHRISTIAN MASON: A RESOURCE FOR ADDRESSING MASONRY IN YOUR LOCAL CHURCH 
BY SETH DUNN
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
 

Unfortunately, Masonic membership in autonomous evangelical
churches is widespread.  The sin of Masonic association often goes
unnoticed or unconsidered in many local churches.  For those Christians
who are convicted by the Holy Spirit to address the sin of Freemasonry
in their churches, the following letter is provided as a resource.  It
can be tailored and addressed to members of the Masonic religion who are
members of any local church.

Dear (Name of Mason),

It has come to my attention that you are a member of (Name of Masonic Lodge). I have come to conclude, along with the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention and a number of other Christian denominations, that Freemasonry is not compatible with Christianity. I was distraught when I learned that you, a member of my own church, were involved in Freemasonry.

I
am obligated by scripture to take the uncomfortable step of showing
you, (Name of Mason), your sin. I ask that you repent of the sin of
being involved in Freemasonry and immediately renounce your membership
in (Name of Masonic Lodge).

As a faithful Christian, I can do no other thing. The Lord Jesus said,
“If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he
listens to you, you have won your brother.” I understand that you may be
taken aback by my actions. Perhaps no other church member has ever
approached you asking you to renounce Freemasonry. It could be the case
that the other members of our church are,ignorant of the unbiblical
nature of Freemasonry. Having researched the matter myself, I can no
longer say that I am unaware. The Apostle James wrote, “to one who knows the
right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.” I am in the
position of knowing about the nature of Freemasonry. So are you. Thus,
we both must do the right thing. There is a sentiment among some that
many Freemasons simply see the craft as a harmless fraternal
organization and have not fully considered its spiritual claims
ramifications. I do not share this sentiment. The unbiblical claims are
simply too harmful to Christian witness

Freemasonry
requires that oaths be taken to be initiated into the Entered
Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason degrees. These oaths are
fairly described as barbaric and involve binding oneself under the
penalty of having one’s throat cut “ear to ear” and having one’s “tongue
torn out by its roots”. These oaths violate the command of the Lord
Jesus who stated:

“make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil.”

To
even enter the most basic degrees of Freemasonry, one must disobey
Christ. This is not an acceptable action for a member of the body of
Christ. It is sin. This oath swearing in itself puts Masonry at odds
with Christianity. That’s to say nothing of the extrabiblical story of
the death and raising of Hiram Abiff.

The secrecy of Freemasonry is inherently antithetical to Christianity. The Lord Jesus told his followers that they are “the light of the world. “ Jesus said, “A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light
a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives
light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in
such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father
who is in heaven.” Freemasons claims to have the “light” of Masonry, yet
they keep it secret from outsiders, even members of their own churches.

Freemasonry
claims that it “makes good men better.” This can’t be so. Scripture
teaches that there are no good men. Jesus Christ said: “There is only One who is good; No one is good except God alone.” Scripture, through the Apostle Paul and the prophet Isaiah, teaches
that “there is none righteous, not even one.” It is the policy of
Freemasonry that no particular religion or faith is required or
excluded. Thus, Freemasonry as an institution teaches non-Chrisitans
that they are good and can get better through Masonry (and outside of faith in Christ). This both denies the effects of the Edenic fall and power of the gospel.

If
there is any remaining doubt the Freemasonry denies the scripture then
consider the words from Akin’s Lodge Manual and Masonic Law Digest which
are meant to be addressed to new Freemasons:


“As you are now introduced into the first principles of Masonry, I
congratulate you on being accepted into this ancient an honorable Order:
ancient, as having subsisted from time immemorial; and honorable, as
tending in every particular, so to render all men who will conformable
to its precepts. No institution was ever raised on a better principle,
or more solid foundation. Nor were ever more excellent rules and useful
maxims laid down that are inculcated in the several Masonic lectures.
The greatest and best of man, in all ages, have been encouragers and
promoters of the art, and have never deemed it derogatory to their
dignity to level themselves with the fraternity, extend their
privileges, and patronize their assemblies.”

The Church of Jesus Christ was raised on the Solid Rock, Jesus Christ. He is the chief cornerstone
of the church. This is the most solid foundation of any institution.
The Bible is God’s Holy word and contains better maxims than any
man-based teachings. The statement above from Akin’s manual is
antithetical to Christianity and no Christian should be able to say it
good conscience. None should believe it. No prophet or apostle has ever
been a Freemason (from time immemorial). Nor was the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is not true, then, that “the greatest and best of man, in all ages”
have encouraged and promoted Freemasonry.

Akin’s manual also implies,
through its funeral service language, that non Christians can make it
to Heaven through their virtuous living. This is denial of what the
Apostle Paul wrote to the the Ephesians:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

It is also a denial of the clear words of Jesus, no one gets to the Father except through Him.

The
verdict is clear. The Craft is antithetical to Christianity and an
affront to our local church. Jesus Christ said, “nothing is hidden that
will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light.” The secret things of Masonry have been brought to light.

Please renounce Freemasonry and repent of your sin.

Sincerely,

(Your Name)

THE FALSE GOSPEL OF FREEMASONRY: A FORMER MASON EXPLAINS

The False Gospel of Freemasonry: 
Pulpit & Pen Interviews a Former Mason
BY SETH DUNN
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
 

Recently, Pulpit & Pen
interviewed theologian and former Freemason William Guilkey. William’s
story provides a sobering reminder of how deeply Freemasonry has
infiltrated the visible church. As a former Masonic insider, William
provides confirmation that Freemasonry’s many Christian detractors have
been wise to sound the alarm about the unbliblical nature of the Craft.
William is clear: Freemasonry is not compatible with Christianity.
Please find the interview below:

How long have you been a Christian?

My eyes were opened to the truths
of the Gospel in the Summer of 2004 (after many years of habitual sin).
While I cannot pinpoint the moment in time when the Gospel began to make
sense to me, I can say that it seemed to start that Summer. I began to
come under heavy conviction of my sin and in time found the hope of the
Gospel. Nearly 13 years later there is much evidence of repentance and
belief in my life, I hate the sins I once embraced, am at war with sin
on a daily basis, continually repent when I fail and I’m continuing in
Christ. There were some really rocky times in the first several years
due to deeply, ingrained patterns of sin but God has faithfully given me
ever increasing victory over them. There is much evidence of a change
in me thanks to the Lord and it all began in the Summer of 2004.

Are you currently an active member of a New Testament Church?

Yes, my wife and I are members of Christ Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC) in Janesville, WI.

Do you have any level of formal theological education?

Yes. I grew up in the Assemblies
of God. I was a “false convert” who never truly understood the Gospel as
well as a legalist with an air of works righteousness. I have a B.A. in
Bible from Central Bible College (1989)

How long were you involved in Freemasonry?

Approximately 6 or so years (with varying degrees of activeness).

What was the name of your lodge?

Bee Hive Lodge #393 in Lawson, MO

In what degrees of Masonry were you proficient?

I received the 3 degrees of the
Blue Lodge as well as the degrees in the Scottish Rite (up to degree
#32). Giving one’s proficiency in the degrees (orally) was no longer
required but as a tribute to my grandfather for his 50th year in the Lodge, I orally repeated the 1st degree and was deemed proficient.

Did you hold any leadership positions in Freemasonry?

Yes, I was the Junior Warden one year and the Senior Warden the next year.

Were there any professed Christians in your lodge?

There were several (including at
least one Pastor). Most were from the older, liberal, mainline
denominations (United Methodist, Presbyterian USA and The Disciples of
Christ, which in our small town was merged with the PCUSA Church). There
were also a few Southern Baptists.

Were there any non-Christians in your lodge?

Yes, including some with the veneer of “Christian” and some outright secular men.

In what degrees of Masonry were you proficient?

In Missouri, they no longer require oral proficiency of the degrees but I did an oral proficiency of the 1st degree in honor of my grandfather’s 50th anniversary in the Lodge.

Why did you leave Freemasonry?

I began to be convicted by the
Holy Spirit that Freemasonry was incompatible with Christianity over
time. It promotes a universal “gospel” of “salvation by
works/Freemasonry” and it requires unbiblical oaths to enter.

Do you believe the blood oaths required to enter Blue Lodge Freemasonry are antithetical to Christian practice?

Yes, per Matthew 5:34-35 for example.

What would you say to someone who
said the oaths were merely symbolic and do not violate Christ’s commands
regarding oath-swearing?

While the oaths are almost
certainly symbolic in our day (since violating them comes with the
penalty of death), there is a sense in which they are serious and that
has to do more with the “brotherhood of the Lodge” and the secrets
contained within its walls. What one is giving oath to essentially is
their silence/secrecy and this is expected to be adhered to by the one
making the oaths.

What can you tell us about the story of Hiram Abiff and the ritual related to him?

Hiram Abiff is loosely based on a character in the verse 2 Chronicles 2:13
(which is not really clear). In Freemasonry, he is known as the “Grand
Master Mason” of King Solomon’s Temple, who outlines the work duties for
the other Masons. The candidate for the 3rd
Degree plays the character of Hiram Abiff and is escorted around the
Lodge and put through various scenarios as the character Hiram Abiff.
Hiram Abiff supposedly has the “Master’s word” and the deeper secrets of
Freemasonry. Hiram is confronted by some ruffians (Fellowcrafts) who
are impatient to receive the word and the secrets of the Master Mason
and after refusing to comply with their demands, Hiram is killed with a
mallet to the head (which happens to the candidate who is left in the
temple under some rubble then later carried to Mount Moriah and laid on
the ground as though buried). Later when it is discovered that Hiram
Abiff is missing, a panic ensues. Eventually some other Fellowcrafts
come to King Solomon and admit that they knew of a plot to kill Hiram
(but did not participate). King Solomon orders them to find the ruffians
(three were missing when he had a roll call of the Fellowcrafts) under
penalty of death if they fail to do so. They found the ruffians when
they stopped to rest and one of the searchers grabbed an acacia branch
which easily gave way to him (it marked the shallow grave of Hiram
Abiff). At that point, they heard the three ruffians mourning about
their role in the death and indicting themselves under the penalty of
their obligations. They were seized, taken to Solomon and executed
according to those penalties (outside the city gate). King Solomon and
all of his followers then go to the shallow grave (where Hiram has laid
for 15 days according to the story). He asks both an Entered Apprentice
(1st degree) and a Fellowcraft (2nd
degree) to raise him by their grips but the rotting flesh slips from
their hands. King Solomon then proceeds to raise the body by the strong
grip of the Master Mason (complete with a certain posture and a word).
This works and the candidate is raised to the “sublime degree of Master
Mason” (their description). In my case, my Grandfather was inserted for
King Solomon and performed my “raising” (of which I am now very ashamed
of as I type). There is no question that the Hiram Abiff character is a
blasphemous characterization of the resurrection (at the very least in
symbolism).

Are non-Christian Freemasons led to believe that they can reach Heaven outside of professing faith in Jesus Christ?

Without question. In the long
speech in the second degree, a Fellowcraft is explicitly told that they
will be happy at death if “the setting splendors of a virtuous life gild
his departing moments with the gentle tints of hope.” Often Freemasonry
is described as an organization that exists to “make good men better.”
It presupposes the basic goodness of man (at least of those who pass the
initial screening of their candidacy).

If the Great Architect of the Universe the same God as the God of the Holy Bible?

It cannot be by definition since
Freemasonry only requires a belief in a Supreme Being/God/god and leaves
that up to the candidate to determine who/Who/what that is for them. In
rural Missouri, people were basically “Christian” in their mindset (not
born again mind you but simply meaning that they took their oaths on
the Bible but one could have taken it on any “holy book”). The only
requirement is that you cannot be a professing atheist. That kind of
pluralistic approach cannot be the God of the Holy Bible.

Is there any truth to the notion that Freemasonry teaches belief in Osiris, Hours, or other Egyptian deities?

I do not recall these names in
either the Blue Lodge or the Scottish Rite (however, the Scottish Rite
was a weekend “marathon” in which degrees 4-32 were given and it was
done “theater style” with us watching the proceedings so I have very
little recollection of it)

Is the “All Seeing Eye” a representation of God?

Yes, because we are reminded that
even if our actions evade the eyes of men, that all of them are seen by
the “All-Seeing Eye” who will reward us according to “our merits” (yet
another false doctrine, unless by “reward” they mean “judgment”).

In your degrees of Freemasonry did you ever receive teaching about Jabulon, Lucifer, or any other such spirit being?

I do not recall these names in
either the Blue Lodge or the Scottish Rite (however, the Scottish Rite
was a weekend “marathon” in which degrees 4-32 were given and it was
done “theater style” with us watching the proceedings so I have very
little recollection of it). Having grown up in the church (even if I was
not genuinely converted at the time), I am pretty sure I would have
been disturbed if I heard the name of “Lucifer” in any positive context.

Does Scottish Rite (or any other form of Freemasonry) confer a Melchizedek priesthood on adherents?

I was hardly active in the
Scottish Rite and the weekend “marathon” of degrees only allows them to
confer so many through the ritual. I do not know if this one was acted
out for us or not but I have read that it is in the 19th degree. I did not know this before researching for this question so I am not a good source on this answer.

Does Freemasonry contradict the doctrine of Original Sin?

Yes, by stating that Freemasonry
serves to “make good men better.” One of the things all Masons say in
repeating the ritual is “to improve myself in Freemasonry” and in
another place, they ask for “Further light” (implying that they may have
some light).

Does Freemasonry teach that salvation can be obtained by performing good works?

Yes, in the lecture portion of the 2nd and 3rd degrees (as outlined in previous questions)

Do Freemasons believe that they
possess wisdom or light that cannot be obtained from the Bible or a
relationship with Jesus Christ?

In my small town, they would
always say “it’s all based on the Bible” but when one hears of the
various study clubs and meetings for the more advanced degrees, you hear
implications of “deeper” or “esoteric” knowledge. To me, it all sounded
like pretentious “gobbled-y gook” to be honest. I never really “got”
that part of it all.

How were you treated by other Freemasons after leaving the lodge?

I live in a different state and do
not encounter any of the men for the most part but no one has sought me
out to discuss it etc. When I resigned, I resigned in writing, with a
letter containing the Gospel. They clearly know where I stood and where I
stand on the matter. I am however, always open to talk with any of them
about the Gospel should a door be opened to me.

Is there anything you would like to say to the “Christian” Masons who are reading this interview?

I would say first of all that I
think many, many people go into Freemasonry innocently enough. By that I
mean that there are some appealing features to some of the “perks” (for
example, where I am from, there were certain jobs that were more
attainable for someone who was a member of the Lodge). I know also that
many men put almost no effort into learning or practicing anything
related to Freemasonry and see it as an opportunity to get together with
some guys a few times a month to eat, smoke, drink coffee and tell tall
tales. As far as some of the deeper conspiracies that people allege are
concerned, I never saw any of that in my small town. If we were somehow
trying to overtake the world, we were definitely way behind in our
efforts! Our Lodge did some nice public service things (i.e.
scholarships, Child Identification Programs to help police in the event
of an abduction and chili/ham & bean suppers). That is how most of
the “brothers” approached Freemasonry. That being said, it really is a
“False Gospel,” with a “False, Pluralistic god” and it gives false
assurance to many people. It is the antithesis of the Bible’s teaching
about the true nature of man and his need before the Thrice Holy God.
Because of that, whether done in “innocence” or “ignorance,” it is a
system of idolatry and must be avoided. It violates the First, Second
and Third commandments and that alone is enough to flee from this false,
religious system. I would encourage you to read the Bible for yourself
and to ask the LORD to open your eyes to His holiness and His
requirements. If/when He does this, you will likely begin feeling the
heavy weight of conviction of sin (because you will then see how much
you have offended God). When that happens, cry out to Him for mercy,
turn from your sin (including the sin of aligning with the Masonic
Lodge) and believe that if you come to Him, He will “in no wise cast you
out” (John 6:37) for “Whosoever calleth on the Name of the Lord, shall be saved!” (Romans 10:13)

Please share this with friends and family, especially those with
Masonic connections.  Freemasonry is a very serious gospel issue and a
very present sin in many churches.  The Pulpit & Pen encourages all
Christian former Masons and any pastors who have dealt with the issue of
Freemasonry to contact us with your stories.

*Please note that the preceding is my personal opinion. It
is not necessarily the opinion of any entity by which I am employed, any
church at which I am a member, any church which I attend, or the
educational institution at which I am enrolled. Any copyrighted material
displayed or referenced is done under the doctrine of fair use.

IF A FREEMASON DIED TODAY?~SOUTHERN BAPTIST CHURCHES ARE FILLED WITH FREEMASONS, TURN A BLIND EYE TO UNBIBLICAL WORKS GOSPEL

SOUTHERN BAPTISTS TOLERATE FREEMASONS IN THEIR CHURCHES; TURN A BLIND EYE 
TO UNBIBLICAL WORKS GOSPEL
IF A FREEMASON DIED TODAY?
BY SETH DUNN
 
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
 
“Freemasonry teaches that salvation may be attained by ‘good works’ and not through faith in Christ alone.”  The North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention

If you are a Christian you have probably asked this question to someone at least once in your life:

“If you died today, do you know if God would accept you into Heaven?”

Every Sunday, in churches all across the world, this is a question
that preachers ask as they prepare to give a gospel invitation to their
audience.  This same question is asked during the rest of the week as
God’s people go throughout their cities to evangelize lost.  Faithful
Christian evangelists communicate the answer to this question clearly
– those who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and
Savior will perish in Hell.  The correct answer to this question is
easily supported by the Bible:

“Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them,
‘Rulers and elders of the people, if we are on trial today for a benefit
done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, let it be
known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of
Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the
dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health. He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief cornerstone. And
there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under
heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.’” Acts 4:8-12
“Thomas said to Him, ‘Lord, we do not know where You are going, how
do we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth,
and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. If you had
known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him,
and have seen Him.’” John 14:5-7
“Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is
the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found
written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:14-15

This question is one of eternal consequence.  It is perhaps the most
important question that can be asked.  The Christian answer to it is
clear, but how do Freemasons answer this pivotal question?  The Masonic
answer to this question is apparent from their official policies and
funeral rights.
When any Master Mason dies, he is entitled to a Masonic burial.
 Funeral rites are prescribed by Masonic handbooks and include
readings, responses, and prayers.  Clearly, Masonic funeral rites (which
are led by the “Worshipful Master” of an individual lodge) are
religious services.  Yet, these services are not particular to any one
religion.  A specific religious affiliation is not required to be a
Freemason.  According to Cartersville Masonic Lodge 63 F&M[1] an absolute requirement for becoming a mason is to “have belief in a Supreme Being (of any faith. No particular religion or faith is required or excluded. All are welcome.)”  The Cartersville lodge claims that “Masonry is universal in its ideals.”
Any Master Mason is entitled to a Masonic funeral and Christian belief is not
required to be a Freemason.  Thus, deceased non-Christian Freemasons
can (and do) receive Masonic funeral services.  According to God’s word,
non-Christians suffer for an eternity in Hell.  Yet, Masonic funeral
rites do not indicate such, in fact, they indicate the opposite.
The funeral ceremony of the Mount Scopus Lodge A.F & A.M. includes the following language:

“My Brethren, the roll of the workmen has been called,
and one Master Mason has not answered to his name. He has laid down the
working tools of the Craft and with them he has left that mortal part
for which he no longer has use. His labors here below have taught him to
divest his heart and conscience of the vices and superfluities of life,
thereby fitting his mind as a living stone for that spiritual building —
that house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Strengthened in
his labors here by faith in God, and confident of expectation of
immortality, he has sought admission to the Celestial Lodge above.”

Clearly, there is an expectation that the dead Freemason (whether or
not he accepted the Lord Jesus as his Savior) will reach Heaven, or what
the Freemasons call the “Celestial Lodge” of the “Great Architect of
the Universe”.  Akin’s Lodge Manual, which was published by John W. Akin
of Cartersville, GA, includes the following funerary language:

“Most glorious God, Author of all good and Giver of all
mercy pour down thy blessings upon us…may we be induced so to regulate
our conduct here that when the awful moment shall arrive that we are
about to quit this transitory scene, the enlivening prospect of thy
mercy may dispel the gloom of death; and after our departure hence in
peace and in thy favor, may we be received into thine everlasting
kingdom, and there enjoy, in union with the soul of our departed
friends, the just rewards of a pious and virtuous life.  Amen!”

From a Christian worldview, this language is profoundly disturbing.
 A dead non-Christian has no hope of receiving mercy from God.  He has
no hope of being received into God’s kingdom.  His Christian friends
will never again unite with him.  He is forever under the curse of sin,
destined for Hell.  To make matters worse, the language of the funeral
rite implies that getting to Heaven is the result of living a “pious and
virtuous life.”  In other words, getting to Heaven is the result of
living a good life and doing good works.  Scripture clearly and
absolutely teaches that good works do not and cannot save.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

The language of the Masonic funeral rite cannot be said or believed
by a Christian in good conscience.  It is a lie.  It contradicts God’s
word.  This lie is more insidious than the Christian friends of Masons
might know.  Akin’s manual actually includes alternate funeral language
which is to be read when a Masonic funeral service is held at a church.[2]
 The language designed for readings in front of a body of Christians
does not include the language which indicates that works save.  Thus,
Christians may be unaware of the unbiblical practices of their fellow
church members who participate in Freemasonry…because they have been
hidden from them.
Freemasons have one answer to the question “If you died today, do you
know if God would accept you into Heaven?” at church and another at
their lodge.  They are double-minded men.  Scripture teaches
that a “double-minded man is unstable in all his ways, like the surf of
the sea and driven and tossed by the wind.”  Unchecked, such men are
dangerous to the health of a church.  If there are Freemasons at your
church, scripture makes your duty clear.  Members of this secret society
must be dealt with according to biblical standards:

“Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of
these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of
disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were
formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children
of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness
and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the
Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but
instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the
things which are done by them in secret.” Ephesians 5:6-12
“Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:1-2

As a Christian, it is your moral responsibility to call Freemasons to
reject freemasonry in repentance.  If a Freemason refuses, thereby
proving that his loyalty to his lodge is greater than his loyalty to
Christ’s church, then he must be treated according to the prescription
of 1 Corinthians 6:

“I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean
with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and
swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the
world. 11 But
actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if
he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a
drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.” 1 Corinthians 5:9-13

This will not be easy…but then again taking up cross and following
Jesus is not supposed to be.  The most loving thing to do is call
sinners to repentance.  The most Holy thing to do is to remove the
wicked from the body.  Like the Israelites who suffered from the secret sin of Achan,
the work of the local church will be hindered by the secret sins of its
Masonic members.  The more Freemasons that infiltrate a church, the
greater influence they have.  Freemasonry is not harmless.  It has
temporal and eternal consequences.  It literally teaches a different,
works-based gospel than the faith-based gospel taught in the Bible.

“But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach
to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be
accursed!” Galatians 1:8

Because church membership is so prevalent among Freemasons, potential
pastors should inform church pulpit committees that they will not
countenance Freemasonry under their shepherding.  Church members should
support their pastors and fellow church members who insist on exercising
Biblical fidelity and church discipline in regards to Freemasonry.
After reading this you may be saying to yourself, “There have been
Freemasons in my church for years.  They seem like good men.  I’ve never
heard any of this before.  I didn’t know any of this.”
Well…you know it now.  Faithfulness to Christ is paramount.

“Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.” James 4:17
“Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.  Let all that you do be done in love.” 1 Corinthians 16:13-14

For an additional, first-hand resource on Masonic funeral rites, see
the video below from Chrisitan Apologist John Ankerberg of Chattanooga,
TN:

*I have resided in Cartersville, Georgia since 1996.  I write to
you from the very town where Akin’s manual was written and is practiced.
 This is a small town.  Pray for me that the Lord will protect me from
any persecution that comes as a result of my taking of this biblical
stand against an influential group.  If you need any help with this
issue, please don’t hesitate to contact me.  If you are a Freemason, I
adjure you to abandon the craft.
**Please note that the preceding is my personal opinion.
It is not necessarily the opinion of any entity by which I am employed,
any church at which I am a member, any church which I attend, or the
educational institution at which I am enrolled. Any copyrighted material
displayed or referenced is done under the doctrine of fair use.
[1]
“F&M” refers to “Free and Accepted” masonry.  It is the mainstream
form of masonry.  Free and Accepted lodges operate under the
jurisdiction of Grand Lodges.  Cartersville #63 operates under the
jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Georgia.
[2]
Many pastors do not allow Masonic funeral rites to be held in their
church buildings.  Many of these same pastors, however, do not initiate
church discipline on Masons.  This action is contradictory.  If a Mason
can be a member in good standing, why can he not have a Masonic funeral
in a church?
_________________________________________________________
SEE ALSO:
https://watch.pair.com/sbc.html


http://jesus-is-savior.com/False%20Religions/Freemasonry/famous_baptists.htm


http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/False%20Religions/Freemasonry/sbc-masons.htm


http://www.ericbarger.com/articles/fmasonry-sbc.2.htm


http://www.freemasonrywatch.org/holly.html

TESTIMONY ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF FREEMASON SUBVERSION IN CHURCHES

TESTIMONY ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF FREEMASON SUBVERSION IN CHURCHES
LETTER TO THE EDITOR OF LIGHTHOUSE TRAILS RESEARCH:
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
 

Dear Lighthouse Trails:

I have just read the excellent booklet that you generously provided in your recent newsletter by Carl Teichrib; FREEMASONRY: A Revealing Look at the Spiritual Side.

Back in the early 1990s, my family was able to relocate
to a small town in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina. We had
previously been members of an independent Bible church in Florida. Among
our first priorities after settling in was to find a similar church
that preached the Word and was focused on missions. We found a very
small Christian and Missionary Alliance Church that at the time had
only about 30 members with a very young pastor that had just graduated
from seminary. This was a wonderful answer to prayer. The church was
already starting to sponsor several missionaries, and the pastor and I
began a close friendship. Soon after the pastor asked me if I would
consider being an elder. I had been a deacon at the church in Florida,
and having been a Christian for only 5 years at this point, I really
thought I might not qualify to be an elder. After much prayer about
this, I humbly accepted the position. Part of my decision was based on
the certainty that the Lord had given me the gift of discernment soon
after I was born again . . . (but that is a whole other story).

The building we rented for our services was very small,
seating maybe 35-40. Soon we began to look for a larger building to suit
our growing congregation. We found a beautiful piece of land just on
the edge of town that had previously been occupied by a Jehovah’s
Witness group. After praying that the Lord would cleanse the building,
we started much needed work on the sanctuary and the small other
building that would be for a nursery.

At this time, a man suddenly started coming to our church
and put himself right away to the business of woodworking and painting.
He had skills in construction that none of us possessed so his help
was greatly appreciated. I soon found out that he was a Freemason. Of
the 5 elders in the congregation, only I and one other (that had left
masonry after becoming a Christian) knew the ramifications of this
man’s intention of becoming a member of the congregation. I looked at
our By-Laws and could not find anything prohibiting a member of a
secret society from becoming a member. So I got busy getting together
materials to discuss with the pastor and elders that dealt with
Freemasonry. At the time, I had a book by John Ankerberg that I used to
highlight all the reasons a Freemason could not be a true Christian
(or at the very least, would be a compromising one) being that he
would be serving two masters.

Since
this man had asked to be a member, we elders had a meeting with him
after the elders had educated themselves about the serious spiritual
ramifications of his joining the membership. We gently but firmly
talked to this man about the biblical reasons that this secret society
could not coexist with Christianity. He claimed he went to a
“Christian Lodge,” and he did not seem to understand what we were
talking about. The man and his wife met with the pastor and said he
was offended by what we were implying. It was his view that we were
saying he was not a Christian, which we had never said in the first
meeting. The next few weeks the man did not come to church. I had the
church vote on a by-law that would not allow a member of a secret
society to become a member of the church. Several weeks later the man
called the pastor and told him that he owned a parcel of land
adjoining our small plot of land. He said he would sell it to us if
only he could become a member of the church and that if the elders and
especially me would apologize to him and his wife based on Matthew
18:15 where a brother sins against another brother!

Much to my surprise (and horror), the pastor (and my
friend) wanted me to ignore the new by-law and personally apologize to
this man solely for the reason of obtaining this parcel of land from
him that he was offering at a great discount!

This was a very agonizing time for me and my wife. We
earnestly prayed about what to do. I could not in good faith apologize
to this man when I had only tried to show him the errors of his way
using Scripture and resources to back up what I was saying. I felt
betrayed by the pastor. Some of the elders (except for one) did not
even know what all the fuss was about! For these reasons, we
reluctantly left that church that we had so dearly come to love. My
wife had started a Pioneer Club for the children and I had taught adult
Sunday school there.

Soon afterwards, a CMA higher up came and discussed church growth, and the man in question sold the parcel to the church.

This is an example of how Satan ruins a good thing when discernment is nearly absent from a local congregation.

By the way, the other elder that was a mason before he
became saved also left that CMA church soon after I did based on his
convictions that very few of the elders and pastor had any discernment
and also because of the new blueprints that the CMA leader had come up
with for church growth. Basically, that plan was to be a
seeker-friendly church that added members that wanted to join whomever
they may be (saved or unsaved).

After we left the CMA church, we looked for a new church
and settled on the big First Baptist church in town (Southern Baptist).
My youngest son accepted Christ as his Savior there and was baptized,
and we were happy they had a nice youth group. About two years later,
the youth pastor left, and they replaced him with a Rick Warren fan.
Several of the parents wanted to have a meeting with him and the
deacons to discuss our concerns. It was not only the fact that all he
talked about was Rick Warren, but my son said that unlike with the
previous youth pastor, this young man was teaching them things that
had nothing to do about the Bible. My son showed me his notes: it was
all man’s wisdom and philosophies that he was espousing. The meeting was
very tense. The youth pastor again accused us of not coming to him in
private first and citing . . . you guessed it: Matthew 18 again! The deacons were all Masons, and they were not sympathetic to our concerns.

Before moving back to Florida, we started up a small
congregation of about 12 families; most of them the parents of the youth
group at the big Baptist church. About this same time, I was reading a
book by a former Mason-turned-Christian that mentioned that a tactic
that the local lodges used was infiltrating the local churches and
reporting back to their lodge on the church’s activities. That really
creeped me out.

Maranatha!

A believer in Florida

FREEMASONRY: A REVEALING LOOK AT THE SPIRITUAL SIDE

FREEMASONRY: 
A REVEALING LOOK AT THE SPIRITUAL SIDE 
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:

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 FREEMASONRY: A Revealing Look at the Spiritual Side

By Carl Teichrib

Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and
his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and
beside me there is no God. . . . Is there a God beside me? yea, there
is no God; I know not any. (Isaiah 44:6,8)

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.—Jesus (Revelation 22:13)

Warning bells sounded in my head. What have you
been accused of? The setting was simple; a near-empty restaurant in a
sleepy prairie town with two respected community members across the
table. I knew what they wanted: my involvement in a local
organization, for I had been approached numerous times about joining.
As an energetic young man in my mid-20s and very involved in the
community, I was a perfect candidate . . . so I was told.

Similar to other conversations, it was evident
my dinner hosts were trying to explain something without actually
telling me anything. Nudge-nudge, wink-wink, but never getting to the
point; it was a sales pitch cloaked in ambiguity.

It would be beneficial for you to join, I was
told. We make good men better, I was promised. They waxed on about a
legacy, doing good work, and having a sense of camaraderie, and the
importance of regular meetings. And it all took place in the
“building-with-no-windows.”

More meetings? Between family, church, and a
host of activities attached to my workplace, my life was busy enough
without adding more. Yet these men believed it would be important for
me to become a Freemason. So I listened to repetitious
non-explanations and interjected where I could.

“Is your group political?” I asked, knowing the answer from previous chats. No.

“Religious?” No.

“Ok, then what are you about?” My query was an open door.

Chairs shifted as they glanced at each other and then back to me. The silence was palpable. And then the hammer dropped.

“We’re not Satanists.” It was said so
matter-of-factually, as if it were a normal response when at a loss
for something to say. But for me, it was as if a lightening bolt had
been shot through a dense fog. Where did this come from?

The thought had never entered my mind, and there was nothing I could correlate this statement to. I was stunned.

Were my dinner colleagues trying to dispel rumors or alleviate fears—but of what? Why say something so outrageous?

In retrospect, they were probably acting
preemptively. The year was 1991, before the public had access to the
Internet, and television documentaries on the subject were unheard of.
If fears of rumors existed, it didn’t stem from the information
battleground we experience today. Rather, my board members would have
likely viewed it as emanating from a church context. This was what
they were probably trying to dispel.

Compelled by the Satan-bomb to find
out what the Lodge was about, but not wanting to join, I determined to
obtain their rituals and philosophical texts. Books examining and
critiquing the Lodge had already been published, but I didn’t know
this at the time. What I did know was that a body of internal
literature existed. Thus began a quest to collect the texts and
materials of the Lodge. Along the way, I talked with current Masons,
probed into community archives, and studied the subject.

Interpretations

Freemasonry has long been called a secret society.
But this is a misnomer. Properly defined, a secret society is an
organization that intentionally remains unknown to all outside of the
closed group. Not so with the Lodge. Its existence and the location of
its buildings are public knowledge. Moreover, the Craft’s internal
secrets of recognition—its grips, signs, and symbols—have long been
publicly circulated. Likewise with its ritualistic texts,
constitutions and monitors, handbooks and memorization aids,
commentaries, encyclopedias, works of history and jurisprudence, and
the writings of its scholars and philosophers.

Foster Bailey, who was a Masonic lecturer and the National Secretary of the Theosophical Society, made this statement:

There is little that is not known today about
the Masonic work, and nothing that cannot be discovered by anyone who
diligently seeks it.1

Others have said similar things.

However, hints of a deeper reality—a spiritual interest—cannot be overlooked. Bernard E. Jones’ Freemasons’ Guide and Compendium points to religious underpinnings.2 And Bailey’s book, The Spirit of Masonry,
is devoted to the spiritual endeavor pulsing within the Craft. Others
have asserted similar connections between religious philosophy and
Freemasonry.

This spiritual association is a point of
contention within the Lodge itself. Is it essentially religious and
spiritual in nature, or is it something else?

Upfront, it must be noted that Masonry does not
have an authoritative text to offer clarification in the way many
religions and some ideologies do. Using religion as a comparison,
Christianity has the Old and New Testament, Judaism the Torah and
Talmud, Islam the Quran, and Hinduism builds on the Vedas. But a
Masonic scriptural authority does not exist. Grand Lodge constitutions
and monitors offer an official look into the workings of the Lodge,
including duties and principles and explanations—with references to
the “Great Architect of the Universe” and the Bible—but they lack
deeper analysis.

Where does the Mason receive knowledge of the
Craft’s meaning? Primarily from three sources: Grand Lodge
constitutions and monitors, the writings of Masonic philosophers, and
the individual’s experiences within the Lodge. Personally gleaning
from his own observations and study, the Mason legitimately asserts
that every man interprets Freemasonry in his own way.

Herein we have a dilemma: The claims of
Freemasonry are many and diverse from within the Brotherhood itself.
Regarding spirituality, two conflicting positions are often
encountered:

The Craft is only a beneficial and benign society, a place for good deeds and self-improvement. It is a moral society.

Good deeds and moral lessons are part of the
experience, but the Craft carries a deeper spiritual meaning and
religiously oriented message.

How will we know what the Craft is about if,
after hearing opposing sides from the Brotherhood, we discover
everything is subjective?

This leads to an observation I’ve made when
discussing this religious-spiritual identity problem with Freemasons:
Local Masons and the visible voice of the Lodge, public announcements
and openly distributed literature, inevitably proclaim the first
position—it is a moral and benevolent body with no religious or
spiritual meaning.

Conversely, men who have achieved significant
stature within the organization, such as a Sovereign Grand Commander
of the Supreme Council, or who are recognized as noted philosophers or
historians within the Craft, are quicker to admit the second
position.

Returning to the subjective nature of
interpretation, that it rests upon individual observations and study, I
was compelled to accept this ruling. I chose, therefore, to interpret
the Craft through the second group and not the local Mason whose
experience has been narrower. While experience plays an important role
in shaping that person’s understanding of the Lodge as an individual,
it has little bearing on deciphering the broader meaning and purpose
of the Craft.

Manly P. Hall, arguably one of the most
important Masonic thinkers of the last century, recognized the divide
within Freemasonry:

In fact, there are actually blocs among the
brethren who would divorce Masonry from both philosophy and religion
at all cost. If, however, we search the writings of eminent Masons, we
find a unanimity of viewpoint, namely, that Masonry is a religious
and philosophical body.3

To discover the philosophical and spiritual
fabric of Freemasonry, we must turn to the voices that have shaped it
and who have invested their lives in its application.

—In Their Own Words—

Religious Universalism

Henry C. Clausen, Clausen’s Commentaries on Morals and Dogma (The Supreme Council, 33°, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Southern Jurisdiction, USA, 1974)—

[T]he One Supreme God has been known by many
names to many races of men. The Sumerians, the Egyptians, the Medes
and Persians, the Hebrew Kabalists, the Druids and Norsemen, the
Brahmans, the Moslems, the Buddhists and the North American Indians
all believed in God as the One Supreme Ruler and Creator of the
Universe. This belief, held by the earliest guilds of operative
masonry nearly six thousand years ago, is the same belief held by
modern Freemasonry today. (p. 161)

Melvin M. Johnson, Universality of Freemasonry (The Masonic Service Association, 1957)—

Masonry is not Christian; nor is it
Mohammedan nor Jewish nor to be classified by the name of any other
sect. The power which has held it together, the chemical which has
caused its growth, the central doctrine which makes it unique, is the
opportunity it affords men of every faith, happily to kneel together
at the same Altar, each in worship of the God he reveres, under the
universal name of Great Architect of the Universe. (Forward)

[Regarding religious universalism] Thus, and
thus only, can we furnish to the world at large a common base upon
which all civilized mankind may unite. (p. 10)

Joseph Fort Newton, The Builders: A Story and Study of Masonry (The Torch Press, 1914/1916)—

It is true that Masonry is not a religion,
but it is Religion, a worship in which all good men may unite, that
each may share the faith of all. (p. 250-251)

Albert G. Mackey, A Text Book of Masonic Jurisprudence (Redding and Company, 1859)—

Masonry requires only a belief in the Supreme
Architect of the universe. . . . Masons are only expected to be of
that religion in which all men agree, leaving their particular
opinions to themselves . . . the Christian and the Jew, the Mohammedan
and the Brahmin, are permitted to unite around our common altar, and
Masonry becomes, in practice as well as in theory, universal. The
truth is, that Masonry is undoubtedly a religious institution—its
religion being of that universal kind in which all men agree, and
which, handed down through a long succession of ages, from that
ancient priesthood who first taught it, embraced the great tenets of
the existence of God and the immortality of the soul. (pp. 95-96)

Allen E. Roberts, The Craft and Its Symbols: Opening the Door to Masonic Symbolism (Macoy Publishing and Masonic Supply Company, 1974)—

Freemasonry calls God “The Great Architect of
the Universe.” This is the Freemason’s special name for God, because
He is universal. He belongs to all men regardless of their religious
persuasion. All wise men acknowledge His authority. In his private
devotions a Mason will pray to Jehovah, Mohammed, Allah, Jesus, or the
Deity of his choice. In a Masonic Lodge, however, the Mason will find
the name of his Deity within the Great Architect of the Universe. (p.
6)

Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry (The Supreme Council of the Southern Jurisdiction, A.A.S.R. USA, 1871/1944)—

The Holy Bible, Square, and Compasses, are
not only styled the Great Lights of Masonry, but they are also
technically called the Furniture of the Lodge . . . The Bible is an
indispensable part of the furniture of a Christian Lodge, only because
it is the sacred book of the Christian religion. The Hebrew
Pentateuch in a Hebrew Lodge, and the Koran in a Mohammedan one,
belong on the Altar; and one of these, and the Square and Compass,
properly understood, are the Great Lights by which a Mason must walk
and work. (p. 11)

Masonry, around whose altars the Christian,
the Hebrew, the Moslem, the Brahmin, the followers of Confucius and
Zoroaster, can assemble as brethren and unite in prayer to the one God
who is above all the Baalim. (p. 226)

[Masonry] reverences all the great reformers.
It sees in Moses, the Lawgiver of the Jews, in Confucius and
Zoroaster, in Jesus of Nazareth, and in the Arabian Iconoclast, Great
Teachers of Morality, and Eminent Reformers, if no more: and allows
every brother of the Order to assign to each such higher and even
Divine Character as his Creed and Truth require.

Thus Masonry disbelieves no truth, and
teaches unbelief in no creed, except so far as such creed may lower
its lofty estimate of the Deity. (p. 525)

Manly P. Hall, The Lost Keys of Freemasonry
(Macoy Publishing and Masonic Supply Company, 1923/1954). Note: Hall
wrote this before becoming a Mason. After joining, Hall ascended to
become a recognized authority within the Craft—

No true Mason is creed-bound. He realizes
with the divine illumination of his lodge that as a Mason his religion
must be universal: Christ, Buddha or Mohammed, the name means little,
for he recognizes only the light and not the bearer. He worships at
every shrine, bows before every altar, whether in temple, mosque or
cathedral, realizing with his truer understanding the oneness of all
spiritual truth . . . No true Mason can be narrow, for his Lodge is
the divine expression of all broadness. (p. 65)

Foster Bailey, The Spirit of Freemasonry (Lucis Trust, 1957/1996)—

Is it not possible from a contemplation of
this side of Masonic teaching that it may provide all that is
necessary for the formulation of a universal religion? May it not be
true, as has been said, that if all religions and Scriptures were
blotted out and only Masonry were left in the world we could still
recover the great plan of salvation? Most earnestly should all true
Masons consider the point . . .

The study of this position will reveal to any
earnest Mason that if Masonry is ever to achieve this ideal it will
be impossible for him to be against any man or any religion. He will
be for all true seekers and light, no matter what their race or creed.
(p. 109)

Spiritual Applications

Allen E. Roberts, The Craft and Its Symbols: Opening the Door to Masonic Symbolism (Macoy Publishing and Masonic Supply Company, 1974)—

[Regarding the Entered Apprentice Degree] You
have entered a new world. Symbolically and spiritually you have been
reborn. This started the moment you were prepared to become a
Freemason. (p. 3)

W.L. Wilmshurst, The Meaning of Masonry (Gramercy Books, 1980)—

The Ceremony of our first degree, then, is a
swift and comprehensive portrayal of the entrance of all men into,
first, physical life, and second, into spiritual life; and as we
extend congratulations when a child is born into the world, so also we
receive with acclamation the candidate for Masonry who, symbolically,
is seeking his spiritual rebirth. (p. 35)

Henry C. Clausen, Emergence of the Mystical (Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, 1981)—

[S]cience and religion will be welded into a
unified exponent of an overriding spiritual power . . . The theme in
essence is that the revelations of Eastern mysticism and the
discoveries of modern science support the Masonic and Scottish Rite
beliefs and teachings. (p. xi)

Science and philosophy, especially when
linked through mysticism, have yet to conquer ignorance and
superstition. Victory, however, appears on the horizon. Laboratory and
library, science and philosophy . . .outstanding technicians and
theologians are now uniting as advocates of man’s unique quality, his
immortal soul and ever expanding soul.” (p. 92).

Manly P. Hall, The Lost Keys of Freemasonry (Macoy Publishing and Masonic Supply Company, 1923/1954)—

Yet if the so-called secrets of Freemasonry
were shouted from the housetops, the Fraternity would be absolutely
safe; for certain spiritual qualities are necessary before the real
Masonic secrets can be understood by the brethren themselves. (p. 69)

Foster Bailey, The Spirit of Freemasonry (Lucis Trust, 1957/1996)—

Masonry is a quest. Not a material quest, but
a spiritual quest, a mystic quest. Not only an individual quest,
although as individuals we strive to learn and achieve, but basically a
group quest. (p. 122)

George H. Steinmetz, The Royal Arch: Its Hidden Meaning (Macoy Publishing and Masonic Supply Company, 1946)—

“Here is the PRINCIPAL SECRET of Royal Arch
Masonry, or for that mater, ALL MASONRY. The supreme fact concerning
man’s being. That the physical and mental are but passing phases of
his evolution toward perfection, that basically and intrinsically he
is inherently and OF NECESSITY, if he actually be in the image and
likeness of his Creator, ESSENTIALLY A SPIRITUAL BEING!” (p. 73,
capitals in original)

The Secret of Human Ascension

W. L. Wilmshurst, The Meaning of Masonry (Gramercy Books, 1980)—

[I]t is clear, therefore, that from grade to
grade the candidate is being led from an old to an entirely new
quality of life. He begins his Masonic career as the natural man; he
ends it by becoming through its discipline, a regenerated perfected
man. To attain this transmutation, this metamorphosis of himself, he
is taught first to purify and subdue his sensual nature; then to
purify and develop his mental nature; and finally, by utter surrender
of his old life and losing his soul to save it, he rises from the dead
a Master, a just man made perfect. (p. 46)

This—the evolution of man into superman—was
always the purpose of the ancient Mysteries, and the real purpose
behind modern Masonry is, not the social and charitable purpose to
which so much attention is paid, but the expediting of the spiritual
evolution of those who aspire to perfect their own nature and
transform it into a more god-like quality. And this is a definite
science, a royal art. (p. 47)

George H. Steinmetz, The Royal Arch: Its Hidden Meaning (Macoy Publishing and Masonic Supply Company, 1946)—

[W]hen the Master of the Lodge has completed
his term of office, the square, emblematic of the COMPLETE MAN is
taken from him and he is presented the jewel of a Past Master, a
compass open to sixty degrees, symbol of the PERFECT MAN. This is
placed upon a quadrant to emphasize the thirty degrees which he has
progressed from the ninety degree right angle of the square to the
sixty degree angle of the equilateral triangle, of which the compasses
are but a substitute. It is symbolic of his ‘REBIRTH’ on the
spiritual plane. (pp. 54-55, capitals in original)

MAN IS IMPELLED TOWARD PERFECTION! There is
that within man—his inner-most divinity—which informs him of the
possibility of attaining completeness of being and urges him on to
strive for that attainment. (p. 84, capitals in original)

[Regarding the Royal Arch symbolism]
Constant, repetitious reminder that man is divine and that the place
to seek that divinity is WITHIN HIMSELF! (p. 123, capitals in
original)

Foster Bailey, The Spirit of Masonry (Lucis Trust, 1957/1996)—

Masonry, therefore, is not only a system of
morality, inculcating the highest ethics through which result, if
followed, the conscious unfolding of divinity, but it is also a great
dramatic presentation of regeneration. It portrays the recovery of
man’s hidden divinity and it bringing forth into the light; it
pictures the raising of man from his fallen estate to Heaven, and it
demonstrates, through which is enacted in the work of the lodge, the
power to achieve perfection latent in every man. (p. 105)

J.D. Buck, Mystic Masonry and the Greater Mysteries of Antiquity (Regan Publishing, 1925)—

It is far more important that men should
strive to become Christs than that they should believe that Jesus was
Christ. If the Christ-state can be attained by but one human being
during the whole evolution of the race, then the evolution of man is a
farce and human perfection an impossibility… Jesus is no less Divine
because all men may reach the same Divine perfection. (p. 62)

Manly P. Hall, The Lost Keys of Freemasonry (Macoy Publishing and Masonic Supply Company, 1923/1954)—

Man is a god in the making, and as in the
mystic myths of Egypt, on the potter’s wheel he is being molded. When
his light shines out to lift and preserve all things, he receives the
triple crown of godhood, and joins that throng of Master Masons who,
in their robes of Blue and Gold, are seeking to dispel the darkness of
night with the triple light of the Masonic Lodge. (p. 92)

Wrestling with the issue of Masonry, religion, and spirituality reveals two important points:

It demonstrates that the Lodge and its
teachings represent much more than just “making good men better,” and
that this statement is a type of window-dressing obscuring the bigger
spiritual picture.

The Christian man, that is, the person who
holds to the exclusivity of Jesus Christ and His grace and mercy—the
gift of salvation by faith and not by works, “that any man should
boast”—finds himself in contradiction to the secretive-spiritual
teachings of the Craft; that man can attain perfection and obtain
divinity through the works (rituals and degrees) of the Lodge.

Perfection in the Lodge

The use of the word “perfection” is found
throughout Freemasonry. For example, in the Scottish Rite, the
combined degrees of 4 to 14 are called the “Lodge of Perfection,” and
Degree 5 is labeled “Perfect Master.”

Henry C. Clausen, the former Sovereign Grand
Commander of the Supreme Council (1969-1985), Southern Jurisdiction of
the Scottish Rite, provides commentary on the fifth degree. Notice
the connection between what we create—the works of our hands and what
we do—and the subsequent attainment of immortality and our highest
spiritual enlightenment:

The setting and symbolic color for this
Degree remind us that while we die in sin we may revive in virtue. We
therefore always should act with regard to justice, equity, honesty
and integrity and reaffirm our abiding belief in the immortality of
the soul. Thus, we symbolically raise the departed from the coffin and
place him at the holy altar as a Perfect Master . . . The universe is
created continually. As we participate in the process we partake of
the Creator—the Divine of God. This participation as co-Creator is
itself a form of man’s immortality regardless of whether, as we
believe, his spirit survives the body. We exist and create. Being
greater than self is man’s true destiny, dignity and grandeur.

Man’s will to believe in something greater
than self is the springboard from which we can touch the Divine. Talk
with men of faith. Read the books that tell of spiritual achievements.
Meditate as you gaze at the stars of the first magnitude. Then you,
too, may attain that conclusive spiritual revelation which is the
highest human development.4

When the Mason enters the 14th level of the
Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction, he has attained the degree of
the Perfect Elu, or the Grand Elect Perfect and Sublime Mason in the
Canadian division. Speaking to this degree, Clausen tells us:

We press on toward the unattainable, yet more
nearly approaching perfect truth . . . Our future well-being depends
on how we perform in this life.5

Albert Pike, who was Sovereign Grand Commander
of the Southern Jurisdiction for 32 years starting in 1859 and had a
hand in writing the Scottish Rite rituals, provides some philosophical
background to the 14th degree:

[Masonry] 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 on this
foundation. It is the base, and they are the superstructure . . . The
ministers of this religion are all Masons who comprehend it and are
devoted to it; its sacrifices to God are good works, the sacrifices of
the base and disorderly passions, the offering up of self-interest on
the altar of humanity, and perpetual efforts to attain to all the
moral perfection of which man is capable.6

Many other instances of perfection crop up in
the family of Masonic societies. In the Egyptian Rite, we find the
Rite of Perfect Initiates, in the Irish branch, we discover the
Perfect Irish Master, and in the Order of Noachites, we find the
Perfect Prussian. In Rennes, France, there existed a Lodge of Perfect
Union, and in 1754, a Masonic oriented lodge was set up in the College
of Jesuits of Clermont, in Paris, known as the Rite of Perfection. In
Germany, the degree of Perfection was the last in the now-defunct
Rite of Fessler. Moreover, when Adam Weishaupt formed his independent
body—known as the Order of Illuminati at Bavaria—it was first called
the Perfectionists.7

Today, a number of Masonic lodges have
“perfection” in their name. In Calgary, Alberta, you can find
Perfection Lodge #9. Perfection Lodge #75 is in New Westminster,
British Columbia. Jacksonville, Florida is home to Perfection Lodge
#11, and Perfection Lodge can be found in Framingham, Massachusetts.

Going beyond the naming of lodges, Masonic
symbolism speaks to something more ubiquitous within the Craft. Here,
symbols meant to convey perfection and perfectibility are found across
the Masonic landscape. One example is the rough and perfect Ashlar: A
stone block which is first unfinished, and then, through the work of
Freemasonry, emerges perfect and ready for use. Historian Albert
Mackey describes it this way.

The Rough Ashlar, or stone in its rude and
unpolished condition, in emblematic of man in his natural
state—ignorant, uncultivated, and vicious. But when education has
exerted its wholesome influence in expanding his intellect,
restraining his passions, and purifying his life, he then is
represented by the Perfect Ashlar, which, under the skillful hands of
the workmen, has been smoothed, and squared, and fitted for its place
in the building.8

The non-Mason is the Rough Ashlar, but once he
enters the Lodge and is shaped by the rituals and educated in Masonic
philosophy, this individual is made new and perfected in the task of
what is called the “Great Work.” Sometimes the ashlar is pictured as a
single stone being hewn or chiseled, but more often it’s two stones
side-by-side: the rough and the perfect. The Masonic Trestle Board too
is symbolic of perfection. Allen E. Roberts tells us in The Craft and Its Symbols:

The Trestle Board, used by the master workman
to draw his designs upon, is a symbol of perfection. It is
symbolically a spiritual board on which a man should lay out his plans
to build his ‘living stones’ into a Temple to the Great Architect of
the Universe.9

Other symbols employed in Freemasonry have a
meaning of perfection, including the square and compass, the jewel of
the York Rite’s Past Master, the Equilateral Triangle, the level and
the plumb, the ruler with 24 divisions, and the Lambskin Apron worn by
all men of the Lodge. George H. Steinmetz reminds the Masonic
traveler:

All the symbology of Freemasonry depicts
man’s journey back to his lost perfection is intended to assist him to
accelerate his progress by teaching him how to more quickly
accomplish his purpose.10

So what is this “perfection” that the Craft
speaks so much about? It is the attempt through good works, rituals
and obligations, and Masonic education to be spiritually perfected
through one’s own striving. This is spiritual alchemy: the attempt to
transform one’s spiritual imperfection through the science of
mysticism and thus be re-forged as a new and perfected being.

Henry C. Clausen explains:

If you follow the true path of Scottish Rite
perfection, with an unshakable faith in a Supreme power, you will go
from the darkness of slavery into the dazzling, holy light of
freedom.11

Clausen continues:

The Scottish Rite teaches its members how to
spell “God” with the right blocks. That truly is the great relevance
of Scottish Rite Masonry in the modern world. We teach our initiates
there are available for the mind of man vast spiritual forces, vital
spiritual powers.

Similarly, we in the Scottish Rite can find
in our inner selves a refuge from external distractions and evils,
just as peace and quiet are found at the eye of a hurricane. There the
sun shines and birds fly. Put your trust in your own inherent
capacities.

Buddha attained his own enlightenment and said to his followers: “Be a lamp unto your own feet; do not seek outside yourself.”12

Chalmers I. Paton, in his book Freemasonry: Its Symbolism, Religious Nature and Law of Perfection, tells us that:

Freemasonry itself is symbolic of the highest
possible perfection of mankind, and to this its great aim is to
contribute; with a view to this object all its teachings are framed.13

J.D. Buck put it this way:

It is far more important that men should
strive to become Christs than that they should believe that Jesus was
Christ. . . . Jesus is no less Divine because all men may reach the
same Divine perfection.14

For the Christian, we know through God’s Word
that we are incapable of saving or perfecting ourselves: “For all have
sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Furthermore, Psalm 14 tells us that there is no
one who does good, that all mankind is together corrupt, and that all
have turned aside from God. Ecclesiastes 7:20 tells us; “For there is
not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, sinneth not.”

Scripture informs us that we must be perfect,
yet that we are incapable of such a lofty goal. In Matthew 5, we find
the standard for perfection, Jesus Christ, telling us we too must be
perfect, “even as your Father, which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew
5:48). How is this possible?

Hebrews 10 informs us that Jesus Christ, as
both the High Priest and sacrificial Lamb, completed this task of
perfecting on our behalf—making us holy before God: “For by one
offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified” (Hebrews
10:14).

Consider the wonderful words of Ephesians 2:4-10:

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great
love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath
quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath
raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in
Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding
riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:
it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. For we
are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which
God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Also, consider how the apostle Paul relates
perfection and Jesus Christ in his letter to the Philippians. Here,
Paul recognizes that his Savior is the one who perfects, and that Paul
himself must continue the race as a believer, knowing that Christ
Jesus is He who completes everything.

Not as though I had already attained, either
were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that
for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count
not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting
those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things
which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high
calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12-14)

When we examine the Lodge and explore its
mystical quest to achieve perfection, and contrast this to the saving
grace of Jesus Christ, we realize that a fork in the road is before
us: Either trust Jesus Christ as the one who perfects and finishes or
attempt to achieve the impossible—perfect ourselves. For the Mason, he
must perfect himself.

The man, therefore, who joins Freemasonry under
the pretense that “we make good men better” places himself in a most
difficult position where man is ascribed to be God and thereby able to
perfect himself through his own efforts. We have, in effect, another
gospel that excludes the Cross and leaves man to seek after his own
devices. Hence, the souls of all involved may be imperiled by a human
method that cannot save.

Conclusion

While this book is just an introduction to the
inner spiritual workings of Freemasonry, I believe it provides enough
information to show that Scripture runs counter to the ideas of the
Lodge and Freemasonry, which seeks mystical perfection through its own
works, making it an avenue that delivers the antithesis of the Gospel
message of Jesus Christ.

To order copies of  FREEMASONRY: A Revealing Look at the Spiritual Side, click here. 

Endnotes:
1.Foster Bailey, The Spirit of Masonry (London, UK: Lucis Press, 1957/1996), p. 77.
2. Bernard E. Jones, Freemason’s Guide and Compendium (Cumberland House), p. 282.
3. Manly P. Hall, Lectures on Ancient Philosophy (Philosophical Research Society, 1929/1984), p. 434.
4. Henry C. Clausen, Clausen’s Commentaries on Morals and Dogma
(The Supreme Council, 33, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of
Freemasonry, Southern Jurisdiction, USA, 1974), pp. 24-26. Note: page 25
is a full-page color picture, thus the text flows from pages 24 to
26.
5. Ibid., p. 71.
6. Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry (The Supreme Council, 33, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Southern Jurisdiction, USA, 1871/1944), p. 219.
7. For the list of “perfect” rites and lodges, see Albert G. Mackey, An Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, Volume II (The Masonic History Company, 1925), pp. 554-555.
8. Albert Mackey, An Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, Volume I, p. 81.
9. Allen E. Roberts, The Craft and Its Symbols: Opening the Door to Masonic Symbols (Macoy Publishing and Masonic Supply Company, 1974), p. 35.
10. George H. Steinmetz, The Royal Arch: Its Hidden Meaning (Macoy Publishing and Masonic Supply Company, 1946), p. 53.
11. Henry C. Clausen, Emergence of the Mystical (The Supreme Council, 33, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Southern Jurisdiction, USA, 1981), p. 82.
12. Ibid., pp. 76-77.
13. Chalmers I. Paton, Freemasonry: Its Symbolism, Religious Nature and Law of Perfection (Reeves and Turner, 1873), p. 1.
14. J.D. Buck, Mystic Masonry and the Greater Mysteries of Antiquity (Regan Publishing, 1925), p. 62.

To order copies of  FREEMASONRY: A Revealing Look at the Spiritual Side, click here. 

TYRANNY: OREGON PLANNED AMBUSH & ASSASSINATION OF LAVOY FINICUM BY CRIMINAL GOVERNMENT AGENTS~JUDGE DECREES ONLY SELECT PEOPLE CAN ATTEND PUBLIC MEETINGS

THE OREGON DISTRACTION
The imprisonment of the Hammond’s, the arrest of peaceful patriots, of Pete Santilli for reporting, the attack on liberty; it is unacceptable. 
FINICUM KILLED IN COLD BLOOD WITHOUT PROBABLE CAUSE 

Today is the Edge of Revolution!

TYRANNY IN OREGON
JUDGE DECREES PUBLIC MEETINGS CAN ONLY BE ATTENDED BY SELECT PEOPLE WITH 
TICKETS
                                     Sheriff David Ward With                                      “Judge”/Commissioner Steven Grasty
Published on Jan 22, 2016
01/22/16 – Just in from Oregon. County officials have DECREED that the public meetings will now be restricted to SELECT people. No guns, security checkpoints, no outsiders, NO CONSTIUTION!
GAVIN SEIM’S VIDEO:

Freemason ‘Judge’ Steve Grasty Changes All 

Public Town Hall Meetings To ‘Invitation Only,’ 

Bans Guns:

republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes


Liberty Fight by Martin Hill





“The very word “secrecy” is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and to secret proceedings.” John F. Kennedy, shortly before his assassination.





LibertyFight.com broke the story last week, that Harney County, Oregon Commissioner Steve Grasty, who claims he is charging the militia $75,000 per day while they occupy the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, is an admitted Freemason.  



Local TV news pointed out the fact that Grasty is not even a real ‘judge;’ the title of ‘judge’ is merely the term that some rural areas use for county commissioner.



Earlier this month Nasty Grasty ‘admonished’ Oregon State Representative Dallas Heard for daring to visit and speak with the folks at the refuge. Rep. Heard also brought several other unnamed elected officials from other states with him. (As if Grasty, a disgusting low-level county hack, has any authority to dictate what an elected representative can do. This simply further reveals the twisted mindset of Nasty Grasty, the freemason occultist.)



Grasty made an absurd and desperate proclamation on Jan. 22nd declaring that only those people he approves of will be allowed at public town hall meetings. He will also check ID and do a background check on each ticket holder, ‘verifying their residency.’ Ironically, he added that he “respects the rule of law.” He also gave a second emotional rant, pleading “those of us who live and work here, are not the unsophisticated rubes that are being portrayed in national media reports.” Here is the text of both those announcements:





FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Steve Grasty
January 22, 2016
541-573-3071
Harney County Community Meeting Change in Venue and Format for January 25 Burns 



 Harney County Judge Steve Grasty announced a change in venue and format for the weekly Harney County community meeting scheduled for Monday, January 25. ‘We started the weekly community meeting so that Harney County residents would have an opportunity to ask questions and voice their concerns in a safe and civil manner,’ said Judge Grasty. ‘The meeting last week did not fulfill that purpose.’ Harney County has been notified by the school district that school facilities will no longer be available for these community meetings due to the number of firearms that were present, in violation of school district policy. The meeting on January 25 will be held at the Harney County Senior Center at 5:00 p.m. Doors will open at 4:30. The Senior Center also has a ‘no firearm’ policy that will be strictly enforced. Please arrive early in order to get through security in a timely manner. The format for this meeting will also be special. ‘Residents of Harney County have been given a unique opportunity to be heard statewide,’ said Judge Grasty, explaining that Oregon Public Broadcasting’s Think Out Loud public affairs program will moderate and record the meeting on Monday. The host of Think Out Loud, Dave Miller, will ask questions of those in attendance. This episode of Think Out Loud will air on Tuesday, January 26. ‘I can’t think of a better way to give Oregon a taste of the real Harney County,’ continued Grasty. Due to space limitations at the Senior Center and the unique format, entrance to this meeting will be limited only to those Harney County residents who have a ticket. Tickets will be available starting at 10 a.m. Monday morning. Here is what you need to know:




    

  • Pick up tickets at the Harney County Courthouse, Clerk’s Office, on Monday starting at 10 a.m. or by calling 541-573-6641 starting at 10 a.m.
    • 

  • Tickets will be released on a first-come, first-served basis.
    • 

  • Everyone who gets a ticket will need to show picture I.D. and residency will be verified.
    • 

  • Picture I.D. will also be required to enter the Senior Center with your ticket.
    • 

  • Each person may pick up only two tickets.
    • 

  • There will be 150 tickets available. Thirty tickets have been set aside for invited guests. Any of those tickets that are unused will be available for others to use.
    • 

  • Anyone who is not able to get a ticket for this meeting, will be wait-listed for this meeting and put at the front of the list for future meetings, should it be necessary to continue with this ticketing format. Any questions related to ticket distribution should be directed to 541-573-6641.
    • 






[LINK.]



Grasty also incuded a youtube video, ‘Video Trailer-Community Support Foundation of Harney County’ The video currently has 2,345 views, no likes, and not surprisingly, comments are disabled. In the video description, they beg for money.



Here is Grasty’s second press release:





January 22, 2016



Statement by Harney County Judge Steve Grasty 



 Oregon’s governor said it best when she said this spectacle is ripping out the heart of our community. And to that I will add this: the real Harney County community respects the rule of law. Many of us are frustrated by state and federal regulation of land use. Some here are mightily angry about our economy which we cannot control. Most of all, many of us are appalled by those who were neither invited nor welcomed, but who purport to speak for our county’s residents.There are many of us in Harney County who are incredulous about the federal government’s fear of taking action against the lawlessness that we are witnessing on a daily basis. It is time to stop the madness. We want our county back. Citizens of Harney County, those of us who live and work here, are not the unsophisticated rubes that are being portrayed in national media reports. We are hard working. We are proud and strong. We support our schools. We are patriotic. We take care of our neighbors. And we want our county back! As County Judge, I have never before experienced a situation like what we face now. I am proud that our Sheriff, Dave Ward, has been a voice of reason under the most trying of circumstances. I am proud that our fellow county residents have resisted any temptation to ‘engage’ those who attempt to exploit us. Never before have I been more proud of Harney County and its citizens. I continue to ask those who occupy our public lands in Harney County to leave, to leave peacefully, and to leave now.



[LINK.]



A full list of Steve ‘Nasty’ Grasty’s press releases can be found HERE.




_______________________________________________________



NASTY GRASTY 



Heated Exchange Over Freeing the Hammonds / Ammon Bundy Oregon Standoff

Published on Jan 21, 2016





Harney County Oregon's "Judge" Steve Grasty strutted like a peacock in front of constituents, but not all of them were impressed. Nasty Grasty is a Henchman for the BLM and a Tool of the Empire.

http://www.endtimesnewsreport.com

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/prepare333

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/redpill333

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/morphonios















Hear Ye Hear Ye Harney County "Judge" Grasty has called a Meeting in Burns Oregon

Published on Jan 24, 2016





Hear ye, Hear ye, Hear ye to all subjects of Harney County who serve at the will of the Glorious Judge Steve Grasty, a Meeting has been called and Notice has been given, let it be written, let it be passed down to all subjects, a first born Child will be required to keep this Land that you now bow down upon. Here ye, here ye, here ye !















Burns Oregon--Attorney KrisAnne Hall Discusses Killing of LaVoy Finicum 
& On Site Report


































			

		

		
		

			
							

		


	

		
	

		
		
EX-“CHRISTIAN” KATY PERRY PROMOTES DARK MAGIC AND LGBT AGENDA AT 2015 SUPER BOWL HALFTIME SHOW~RIDES THE BEAST OF REVELATION?
		
		
 

	
		
		
					

			
		

						











PERVERSE PERFORMANCE FILLED WITH OCCULT, PAGANISM, OBSCENITIES



REVELATION 9:20-21-“And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries.










This word “sorceries” used in Revelation comes from the greek word pharmakaia. The word is translated into four meanings:





1) the use or the administering of drugs; 2) poisoning; 3) sorcery, magical arts, often found in connection with idolatry and fostered by it; 4) metaphorically the deceptions and seductions of idolatry




KATY PERRY RIDES THE BEAST







(HER ROBOTIC, PRISMATIC, 

GOLDEN LION WITH RED EYES)





REVELATION 17:3-“And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns.

















FIRST READ OUR PREVIOUS POSTS:



1) BISEXUAL KATY PERRY’S DESCENT INTO DARKNESS: GOSPEL SINGER TO APOSTATE TO ATHEIST TO SATANIC WITCHCRAFT:








2) KATY PERRY SATANIC PERFORMANCE: NATALIE GRANT CHRISTIAN SINGER WALKS OUT OF “GRAMMYS”:










3) GRAMMYS 2014-ILLUMINATI SATANIC CELEBRATION~FREEMASONRY MIXED WITH WITCHCRAFT:
















4) ATHEIST KATY PERRY: “DARK HORSE” DEMONICALLY INSPIRED ILLUMINATI THEMED MUSIC VIDEO EXPOSED:




EX-“CHRISTIAN” KATY PERRY PROMOTES 



DARK MAGIC AND LGBT AGENDA AT 



2015 SUPER BOWL HALFTIME SHOW



A GREAT WAVE OF SPIRITUAL DARKNESS SETTLING IN OVER AMERICA



 | February 1, 2015



SEE: http://www.nowtheendbegins.com/blog/?p=30418; republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:







“When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.” Luke 22:53 (KJV)



In the recent years the Super Bowl, almost always the highest-rated and most-watched television broadcast on the planet, has given over it’s famed Halftime Show to trumpet the cause of the New World Order and the Illuminati. And as referenced in our opening bible verse at the top of the story, the Illuminati knows that it is “their hour”, and they are defiantly out in the open.



katy-perry-illuminati-princess-super-bowl-2015-new-world-order-nwo-pyramid-symbol-riding-monster



“So you wanna play with magic
Boy, you should know what you’re falling for
Baby do you dare to do this?
Cause I’m coming at you like a dark horse
Are you ready for, ready for
A perfect storm, perfect storm
Cause once you’re mine, once you’re mine
There’s no going back”



Two years ago, you had Beyonce flashing the Illuminati Triangle Sign during Super Bowl XLVII, the year before that you had Madonna as a New Age goddess gyrating on a satanic throne, and last year had Bruno Mars shouted “Illuminati Now!” during his performance. This year, we had ex-Christian Katy Perry providing the “entertainment” for us. Perry, whom you may recall, famously renounced her Christian upbringing and has this to say about what her “faith” is like today:





“I don’t believe in a heaven or a hell, or an old man sitting on a throne. I believe in a higher power bigger than me because that keeps me accountable,” she told Marie Claire magazine recently. “Accountability is rare to find, especially with people like myself, because nobody wants to tell you something you don’t want to hear. I’m not Buddhist, I’m not Hindu, I’m not Christian, but I still feel like I have a deep connection with God. I pray all the time – for self-control, for humility,” she told Marie Claire. “There’s a lot of gratitude in it. Just saying ‘thank you’ sometimes is better than asking for things.” source – Christian Post





So, let’s see how former Christian Katy Perry did compared to previous years:


    

  • Katy Perry opened riding a golden monster with glowing-red satanic eyes, singing the lyrics to her hit “Dark Horse”, partially quoted in the photo above. Read those words closely, it’s the Devil speaking, and he is coming for you if he can.
    • 

  • She performed her LGBT fan favorite “I Kissed A Girl”, leading as many young women as will follow her into experimentation with the LGBT perverted lifestyle.
    • 

  • Perry closed with another pro-LGBT song called “Firework” where she floated over the audience riding a shooting star with the LGBT rainbow as it’s tail.
    • 




The New World Order and Illumination agenda is being hammered into our children at a feverish rate, using catchy lyrics and a non-stop droning drumbeat with overwhelming power chords.



Parents, protect your children if you love them. All of this junk, every bit of it, is poisoning their minds and turning them away from God. Katy Perry is the perfect poster girl for the New World Order because she used to be a Christian, and now mocks the God she once served.



Just like Lucifer did as he was becoming Satan.



_________________________________________________







Katy Perry Super Bowl Halftime Show 2015 Live 



FULL Performance NFL Super Bowl XLIX



Published on Feb 1, 2015
















Pop songstress Katy Perry filled her Super Bowl XLIX halftime show with color, pageantry, whimsy and a too-much-isn’t-enough sensibility that meshed well with one of the most hyped sporting events of the year.








The 12-minute set opened with Perry riding on a giant golden lion across the field, singing “Roar,” followed by “Dark Horse” — performed atop a screen that turned the field into an M.C. Escher-esque chessboard.




Perry was joined for the outing by Lenny Kravitz, whose time spent in the Hunger Games hasn’t dulled his ability to rock out like it’s 1997. He took the lead on Perry’s first hit single, “I Kissed a Girl,” backed by pyrotechnics. (Girl on fire, indeed!)




Hit after hit found its way into the rundown, including “Teenage Dream” (backed by singing sharks and palm trees) and “California Gurls” (did we mention her beach-ball bustier)?

Rapper Missy Elliott shared the spotlight with a brief medley of her hits “Get Ur Freak On,” “Work It” and “Lose Control,” with Perry proving a playful backup dancer.




The solid set closed with “Firework,” as Perry circled the arena and actual fireworks launched from the field and the roof of the stadium, and dancers on the field lofted colored balls overhead.



MASONS & CHESS BOARD FLOORS

































































VIDEO OF KATY PERRY AT HALF TIME SHOW 2015



(BEST QUALITY FOUND);



INCLUDES OBSCENE SONG WITH 



LESBIAN RAPPER MISSY ELLIOTT



&



PERVERSE APPEAL TO YOUNG CHILDREN 



USING CARTOON FIGURES







_______________________________________________________





Katy Perry: Pepsi UFO Halftime Masonic Temple On Stage Ritual





Published on Feb 1, 2015 





Katy Perry has recently stated in a interview that she is using the NFL Pepsi Halftime Show to get to the next level! The song Dark Horse is used in this Masonic Ritual to show her loyalty to those that control her. She is in the process of going on a Worldwide Tour called Prism 







and she said she is taking the “light” to the World! She means the Illuminati light. She a blind leader leading the blind masses into the New Age of Aquarius. This is what Hitler was about as well. They are continuing what Hitler started only on a Global Scale. The Antichrist will use PEACE to destroy!





Daniel 8:25-“And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.” 







VIDEO:




_________________________________________________________












Katy Perry Super Bowl Illuminati Bisexual Halftime Show Review



Published on Feb 1, 2015



Mark Dice is a media analyst, author, and political activist who, in an entertaining and educational way, gets people to question our celebrity obsessed culture and the role the mainstream media and elite secret societies play in shaping our lives.










Mark’s YouTube channel has received over 100 million views and his viral videos have been mentioned the Fox News Channel, CNN, the Drudge Report, TMZ, the New York Daily News, the Washington Times, and other media outlets around the world.




He has been featured on the History Channel’s Decoded and America’s Book of Secrets, Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura, Secret Societies of Hollywood on E! Channel, America Declassified on the Travel Channel, and is a frequent guest on Coast to Coast AM, The Alex Jones Show, and more.




Mark Dice is the author of several popular books on secret societies and conspiracies, including The Illuminati: Facts & Fiction, Big Brother: The Orwellian Nightmare Come True, The New World Order, Facts & Fiction, Inside the Illuminati, The Resistance Manifesto, and Illuminati in the Music Industry, which are all available in paperback on Amazon.com or e-book on Kindle, iBooks, Nook or Google Play.




While much of Mark’s work confirms the existence and continued operation of the Illuminati today, he is also dedicated to debunking conspiracy theories and hoaxes and separating the facts from the fiction; hence the “Facts & Fiction” subtitle for several of his books. He has a bachelor’s degree in communication from California State University.




He enjoys causing trouble for the New World Order, exposing corrupt scumbag politicians, and pointing out Big Brother’s prying eyes. The term “fighting the New World Order” is used by Mark to describe some of his activities, and refers to his and others’ resistance and opposition (The Resistance) to the overall system of political corruption, illegal wars, elite secret societies, mainstream media, Big Brother and privacy issues; as well as various economic and social issues. This Resistance involves self-improvement, self-sufficiency, personal responsibility and spiritual growth.



PERRY SINGS: “I KISSED A GIRL”,



(“WITH CHERRY CHAPSTICK“):







Katy Perry’s Super Bowl Pro Gay Message Controversy:








SUBLIMINAL SUPER BOWL ILLUMINATI SECRETS REVEALED







Pop singer has admitted to selling soul to Satan




EXCERPTS:





10955725_519391611535546_5682779793974536029_o



As expected, Super Bowl XLIX’s half-time performance had its share of Illuminati symbolism.



Ever since Janet Jackson’s 2004 “Nipple-gate” show, where boy band all-star Justin Timberlake tore Jackson’s dress, exposing a bare nipple festooned with a sun emblem on national television, the half time show has become a tool to broadcast powerful occult symbols into millions of unsuspecting football fans’ homes.



It’s widely theorized ancient symbols and archetypes affect the human psyche on a subconscious, metaphysical level, effectively inducing certain thought patterns.



Needless to say, pop star Katy Perry’s show this year didn’t let those reading between the lines down.



The 12-minute performance, sponsored by PepsiCo, began with Perry outfitted in a flame pattern dress, possibly representative of her right-hand role to the ruler of the underworld.



checkerboard-pattern



The mosaic design is closely linked to the Freemason secret society, a fraternity known for conducting strange initiation rites derived from British and French traditions ostensibly meant to create “better men.”



masonfloor



“The mosaic pavement is an old symbol of the Order,” explains Albert Mackey in his Encyclopedia of Freemasonry. “It is met with in the earliest Rituals of the eighteenth century. It is classed among the ornaments of the Lodge in combination with the indented tassel and the blazing star. Its parti-colored stones of black and white have been readily and appropriately interpreted as symbols of the evil and good of human life.”












_______________________________________________________





Katy Perry Performed Illuminati Show at Super Bowl XLIX:











WARNING: DEMONICALLY 



INSPIRED MUSIC AND LYRICS; 



NOT FOR CHILDREN











Katy Perry (Hudson), 



the Super Bowl and Satan



KATY PERRY BIOGRAPHY OF APOSTASY







Published on Feb 2, 2015 by Pastor Joe Schimmel:












Katy Perry has drawn in millions of unsuspecting, young fans into her web with her seemingly fun loving, innocent, bubble gum persona. But as with so many other leading artists in the satanically dominated music industry, there is far more to Katy Perry than meets the eye, as under her bright persona lies great darkness.




To learn more about our ministry, please visit:

http://www.goodfight.org
















Katy Perry: 2015 Super Bowl Dark Horse Decoded:
































			

		

		
		

			
							

		


	

		
	
		
	
		
	
		
	

		
		
GRAMMYS 2014-ILLUMINATI SATANIC CELEBRATION~FREEMASONRY MIXED WITH WITCHCRAFT
		
		
 

	
		
		
					

			
		

						





Jay-Z and Beyonce have been celebrated worldwide. Even by President Obama.





















Republished from Beginning and End at http://beginningandend.com/the-2014-grammys-an-illuminati-satanic-celebration/, below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes.

See our previous posts:

https://ratherexposethem.org/2014/01/bisexual-katy-perrys-descent-into.html

https://ratherexposethem.org/2014/01/katy-perry-satanic-performance-natalie.html

https://ratherexposethem.org/2014/02/natalie-grant-fails-to-condemn-grammy.html

See also:

http://beginningandend.com/nikki-minaj-beyonce-cult-demon-possession/

http://beginningandend.com/beyonce-channels-the-spirit-of-jezebel-in-illuminati-ghosthaunted-video/

http://beginningandend.com/descent-into-darkness-katy-perry-renounces-the-christian-faith/

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The 2014 Grammys was a night full of Satanic ritual.







The 2014 Grammy’s solidified much of what Beginning and End has warned about the pop music industry over the past two years: that it is one of the main promoters of sinful rebellion and the occult today. With an array of performances by mega-star Illuminati celebrities, the award show was an assault on the God, the Christian faith and whatever Biblical values are left in America. And as society cheers on their idols, the hearts and minds of many are turning from The Lord and to Satan.



Satanic Rebellion on Display







Beyonce and Jay-Z, two of the biggest promoters of the occult in pop music, kicked off the event.





Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed [Jesus Christ], saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. – Psalm 2:1-3.





The reason that those in league with the promotion of sin is found in the passage above. The desire among those powerful and influential people who oppose God is to “break the bands and cords” of The Lord. What are those bands and cords? The Word of God – The Bible. Satan, who wants to rule humanity, knows that it is critical that people in society no longer regard the God of the Bible or Jesus Christ, the Son of God as important. Any notion that people should worry about sin, eternal life or God’s judgment of them must be removed. And the easiest way to do this is by encouraging sinful rebellion. And pop culture has served as one of the Devil’s greatest weapons in moving the mind of society to not only accept blatant sinful behavior, but to applaud and love it.



Beyonce – The Spirit of Jezebel







What spirit inspired this performance?



Pop Superstar Beyoncé opened the show with a performance of her smash hit“Drunk In Love.” Dressed in see-through lingerie and a thong, the songstress writhed on a chair in vulgar, overtly sexual fashion. All the while, singing lyrics so vile, that even the Grammy producers had to censor her. The song is a blatant ode to sex, describing intimacy in extreme graphic terms. This year it was “Queen Bey” as she refers to herself, to play the role of sexual temptress at the Grammys and she wasted no time in setting an X-rated tone for the awards show. Her entire performance was promoting sexual lust and fornication. We covered the performance in detail in our article: Beyonce Channels The Spirit of Jezebel In Illuminati “Ghost/Haunted” Video.



The Rise of Witchcraft







“And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?” – Isaiah 8:19.



Katy Perry’s performance of Dark Horse was this year’s most brazen satanic ritual of the night (we previously covered Nicki Minaj’s performance at the 2012 Grammy’s which was also an occult ceremony). Perry’s performance was so over the top in its wickedness, it will also be covered in its own soon to be published article.



Adding to that was Madonna who showed up dressed in witch’s garb.







Madonna’s outfit was witch-inspired.



Even MTV took notice of the style of dress of the pop icon:





Something magical was in the air at the Grammy Awards this year. It seems that three of pop’s leading ladies got the memo that witches are just so hot right now. That’s right: Madonna, Katy Perry and Lorde all seemed to have recently watched “The Craft” — or the current season of “American Horror Story” — and decided to use that programming as inspiration for this year’s show.

Madonna kicked off the trend on the red carpet, walking into the show looking like pop music’s ultimate supreme. In her wide-brimmed hat and tailored black suit, the Material Girl (who later performed with Macklemore & Ryan Lewis) looked like the leader of the pop coven. Her style quickly had fans commenting that she appeared to be auditioning to replace Jessica Lange on the witchy FX anthology series. (source).





To no surprise, MTV suggested that Madonna was influenced by American Horror Story: Coven, one of the most satanic shows on television. Coven is about a group of witches attending a prep school to train them in magic and features graphic violence, sexual perversion, incest, bestiality and necrophilia, among other inappropriate themes. Here is a photo from the show of the main character and the other witches walking into the coven. The fashion inspiration of Madonna was clear.











Madonna, a practitioner of Kabbalah, which is a form of Jewish mysticism, is no stranger to the occult. Her Super Bowl halftime performance in 2012 was one of the biggest occult ceremonies of all time (we cover that performance in detail in our article: ). The entire performance was premised on the occult belief of man attaining godhood.



Other fans and media sites concurred that Madonna was inspired by the show


















Madonna’s earrings were in the shape of the Baphomet Sigil.















The Baphomet Sigil.





Notice they are in the shape of Baphomet stars.  Anton LaVey, the founder of The Church of Satan, made it clear as to what this symbol, the goat’s head, in an upside down pentagram, means:









“The symbol of Baphomet was used by the Knights Templar to represent Satan. Through the ages this symbol has been called by many different names. Among these are: The Goat of Mendes, The Goat of a Thousand Young, The Black Goat, The Judas Goat, and perhaps the most appropriately, The Scapegoat.” (source).





Lorde, who won pop song of the year, also invoked many comments for her witch-like appearance and dancing as if she were possessed:







Many media outlets thought Lorde was in on the witchcraft theme as well.



WGN Network, which is producing a new witch-based drama called Salem, also chimed in on Lorde’s appearance:










The Bible of course makes it clear that any dabbling in witchcraft or magic is a grave sin. This is emphasized in a passage describing the wicked King Manasseh, one of the most sinful people in the entire Bible:





Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem: But did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, like unto the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down, and he reared up altars for Baalim, and made groves, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them. Also he built altars in the house of the Lord, whereof the Lord had said, In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever. And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord. And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger. – 2 Chronicles 33:1-6.




 The use of magic is based on contacting demonic forces. These beings are not to be toyed with hence witchcraft being a capital offense in ancient Israel. But as detailed in our article on American Horror Story Coven, witchcraft is becoming more popular than ever thanks to television and movies glamorizing the occult. Just as the evil leaders of Israel led the nation into sin, today the leaders of pop culture are causing millions of their fans “to err” and embrace the occult as entertaining and cool.



The Coming Deception













“And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” – 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12.









The massive increase of blatant occultism and promotion of Illuminati satanic religion is a judgment from The Lord for the sins of society. Because America is turning away from God, attacking the Bible at every turn and seeking to silence the voice of Bible-believing Christians, The Lord is giving a God-rejecting society what they want: access to Satanic rebellion.



This is described in detail in Romans chapter 1:





For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools..” – Romans 1:17-22.





Rather than worship God, pop stars have let their sinful imaginations run wild, opening the door for satanic influence. And though they may think they “have it all”, they are in fact making the biggest mistake of their lives as they are inviting the wrath of God upon themselves.





And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. – Romans 1:23-25.





Robin Thicke – Deal With The Devil Secured







Robin Thicke became an overnight sensation after dropping his R-rated music video.



Pop star Robin Thicke also performed at the Grammys. Thicke, became a sensation in 2013 thanks to his smash hit Blurred Lines an ode to fornication  and cocaine use (he also has a song on his album titled “Cocaine”). The original “unrated” video for the song, released online, featured Thicke dancing among numerous naked women, and went viral, before being banned by YouTube. The marketing strategy used the ever-powerful temptation of sexual lust to entice the masses. As is always the case with so many pop superstars, there must be an overt promotion of sinful rebellion for the ultimate reward of fame and status. In the case of the unrated video, it worked liked a charm.  A second version of Blurred Lines, (with women only topless and scantily clad), received YouTube’s approval and amassed over 267 million views. As a result his song was one of the biggest hits of the year and vaulted him to pop stardom.



He was also infamous for being the co-participant in Miley Cyrus’ vulgar display at the MTV Video Music Awards.







Thicke, left, dancing with Miley Cyrus during her vulgar performance at the MTV VMA awards.



But before any of this, Thicke started his career with a song that showed his spiritual intention. His first hit single, “Magic”, of course was an allusion to the occult and made a very open reference to his spiritual state. Here are some of the lyrics.





I got it, you got it, we got the magic, girl

I got it, you got it, we got the magic, girl



I know sometimes, sometimes you feel no hope

Well Ive been there, Ive walked that lonely road, ooh

I took whatever the devil offered me

Because I knew that he would set me free, (source). 






Once again, we see a reference to a deal with Satan. What spirit inspired this song?  Below is an image from the video of Thicke in a doorway of light with a pyramid symbol all over it.







Also notice that the emblem for “magic” in the video is a lightning bolt.











The lightning bolt has often been associated with the Devil. Based on the words of Jesus Christ. In Luke Chapter 10, Jesus Christ had commissioned 70 disciples to travel through Judea, preaching the Gospel. And He gave them a supernatural impartation of His Spirit to perform miracles for those they encountered to demonstrate that they were truly sent from God. When the men realized they even had the power to cast demons out of people who were possessed, they returned to Jesus with shock and excitement:









And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. – Luke 10:17-19.





The realization that the name of Jesus Christ gave them power over Satanic spirits, stunned the disciples. And their testimony led Jesus to relay the vision He had of Satan falling from Heaven like a lightning bolt. The occult has jumped on this description to make the bolt of lightning a symbol of Satan. Here are other stars using it as well.



Lady Gaga







Heavy Metal Group AC/DC (singers of satanic ode “Highway to Hell”)







Pink – Freemasonic Princess







Having established her credentials, Pink was free to do her high-wire act.



Rock star Pink performed a high wire acrobatic song during the 2014 Grammys. She previously established her Illuminati credentials at the 2009 VMA awards where she performed a Freemason ritual for millions in the viewing audience:







Here is a description of the initiation rite for the Royal Arch Purple in Freemasonry, which Pink mimicked on TV:







After securing the initiate’s undivided loyalty, the Royal Arch Purple candidate is ‘made up’ for initiation in a practice known within secret societies and the occult world as being ‘properly prepared’. In ‘The Meaning of Masonry’, prominent Freemason W.L. Wilmshurst explains the significance of such a practice, saying, “If he be truly a worthy candidate, ‘properly prepared’ in his heart and an earnest seeker for the light, the mere fact of his entering such an atmosphere will so impress and awaken his dormant soul faculties as in itself to constitute an initiation and an indelible memory” (p. 117).



This custom is, in reality, the state of readiness the initiate obtains before receiving mystical enlightenment into a secret body. The candidate could justly be described as being properly prepared for his (counterfeit) new birth experience…



The oath-bound Royal Arch Purple aspirant is prepared for initiation in typically Masonic manner, by being stripped of much of his clothes. He is divested of his coat and vest, collar and tie, shoes and socks. One shoe is then placed on candidate’s left bare foot, and the legs of his trousers rolled up above the knee, his left breast being bare. The candidate is then blindfolded, and a piece of purple ribbon is fastened to the front of the candidate’s shirt or other garment. (source). 





Notice Pink is wearing a purple outfit with a purple pastie over her  bare breast. She is also barefoot and in place of one of her purple pants sleeve, she has a checkerboard patterned sleeve often found in Masonic temples:







The checkerboard floor in an actual Masonic Lodge.





The description of the ritual continues:





…This peculiar practice of stripping the candidate before initiation, whilst overtly humiliating, has a deep spiritual significance. The custom itself goes back to the time of Nimrod, the father of the ancient mysteries. The Rev. Alexander Hislop in his book ‘The Two Babylons’ (p. 183) explains how Nimrod, before he was cut in pieces, was “necessarily stripped” in what was “a voluntary humiliation.” He then states, “When, therefore, his suffering was over, and his humiliation past, the clothing in which he was invested was regarded as a meritorious clothing, available not only for himself, but for all who were initiated in the mysteries.” (source).





Nimrod in Scripture was the first emperor after the Flood of Noah’s day. He was the first ruler to shed blood to conquer and led the tower of Babel rebellion. It was the first attempt at an occult global government with the plan to overthrow God:













And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. – Genesis 11:1-6.


 Again, we see the dangers of rejecting God and then allowing the imagination to take over – it leads to open rebellion against The Lord. The Tower of Babel was so spiritually dangerous that God personally intervened to bring it to an end. And this is what the Freemasonic ritual celebrates. The description of the ritual continues:



Hislop then explains, “When the initiated, thus ‘illuminated’ and made partakers of a ‘divine nature’, after being ‘divested of their garments’, were clothed anew, the garments with which they were invested were looked upon as ‘sacred garments’, and possessing distinguished virtues. ‘The coat of skin’ with which the Father of mankind was divinely invested after he was made so painfully sensible of his nakedness, was, as all intelligent theologians admit, a typical emblem of the glorious righteousness of Christ – ‘the garment of salvation’, which is ‘unto all and upon all them that believe’. The garments put upon the initiated after their disrobing of their former clothes, were evidently intended as a counterfeit of the same” (p. 183). This vulgar practice has assumed a strategic place in most heathen initiations, being subtly designed to mimic the Christian new birth experience.







 An actual image of the Purple Arch Freemasonic initiation.







As Beginning and End has detailed time and time again, many occult practices are perversions of aspects of the Bible and the Christian faith. The “new birth experience” is receiving forgiveness for ones sins and eternal life through belief in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Jesus Christ said:







For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. – John 3:16-19.



Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross, to take the punishment for the sins of the world. Why? Because it was the only way that a person could be declared “not guilty” when they stand before God and have to account for their lives. It took God in the flesh, living a perfect life and offering His own life, to pay for all of our sins. And when a person puts their faith in Jesus Christ, their old spirit dies and a new spirit, from Heaven is given to them. This is being “born again” or “the new birth.” The old spirit that served sin and lusts of the flesh dies and the new spirit, which seeks to please God and serve Him, lives instead. Satan has tried to offer immortality to humanity through “Secrets” and mystery religions since the Garden of Eden. And as Adam and Eve learned and countless millions since, his offer was a deception.















So it is no coincidence as Satan and his minions are most-focused on corrupting the true way to salvation. And to no surprise the Grammys, which were clearly under demonic spiritual influence, made a direct attack on Christianity as well.



























Daft Punk – Selling Your Soul For Rock ‘n Roll







Daft Punk are major promoters of the pyramid.







Tecno band Daft Punk won song of the year for their hit single, “Get Lucky”. This group, known for wearing all black outfits and helmets, have used their videos and concerts to constantly promote the use of Illuminati symbolism:









Freemason philosopher Manly P. Hall wrote this of the pyramid:







The word pyramid is popularly supposed to be derived from πῦρ, fire, thus signifying that it is the symbolic representation of the One Divine Flame, the life of every creature….. They entered its portals as men; they came forth as gods.







It was the place of the “second birth,” the “womb of the Mysteries,” and wisdom dwelt in it as God dwells in the hearts of men.









The modern world knows little of these ancient rites. The scientist and the theologian alike gaze upon the sacred structure, wondering what fundamental urge inspired the herculean labor…So men say of the Great Pyramid that it is the most perfect building in the world, the source of weights and measures, the original Noah’s Ark, the origin of languages, alphabets,. and scales of temperature and humidity. Few realize, however, that it is the gateway to the Eternal.







Though the modern world may know a million secrets, the ancient world knew one–and that one was greater than the million; for the million secrets breed death, disaster, sorrow, selfishness, lust, and avarice, but the one secret confers life, light, and truth. The time will come when the secret wisdom shall again be the dominating religious and philosophical urge of the world. The day is at hand when the doom of dogma shall be sounded. The great theological Tower of Babel, with its confusion of tongues, was built of bricks of mud and the mortar of slime. Out of the cold ashes of lifeless creeds, however, shall rise phœnixlike the ancient Mysteries. (Manly P. Hall, The Secret Teachings of All Ages).









So again, we see the symbolism comes back to the promise of the Garden of Eden from Satan: “ye shall not surely die.”  The goal of immortality and godhood is the foundation of the Illuminati – the spirits and principalities under the leadership of Satan and the people who are their willing and often unwitting servants. To no surprise, the pyramid is one of the primary symbols in Freemasonry.







Daft Punk are renowned for performing from inside a pyramid.







In one of their rare interviews, Daft Punk stated that in making their latest album they were: “Going deep into complex musical branches and bringing order to this vast chaos, that was what we were really passionate about.” (source).  Ordo Ab Chao, or “Order Out of Chaos”, is one of the key mottos of Freemasonry.  Albert Pike, 33rd Freemason Scholar, and one of the founders of the Ku Klux Klan, put the motto on an emblem on the cover his book, Morals and Dogma:







The double-headed Phoenix sits atop the motto “Ordo Ab Chao.”









In our article on Kanye West, Beginning and End detailed the meaning of the Phoenix in the occult – it a symbol of immortality and the dying an rising god who will one day lead the New Age. In the book of Revelation, this leader is identified as the Antichrist who: “which had the wound by a sword, and did live.”(Revelation 13:14). The Antichrist will literally suffer a fatal wound, and return to life, causing the the entire unsaved world to worship his as god.  And this is what the symbols of the occult are concealing. But now the time has come to bring the secrets of the occult to the public. In order to achieve the proper “paradigm shift”for society to embrace the New Age.  And entertainment is driving this effort to spread this false Gospel.







While some entertainers have made occult and satanic practices the path to their success, other artists who perpetuate all of this symbolism do not have to attend meetings and conferences to receive their “marching orders.” It only takes spiritual “inspiration” to spark their imagination to bring these symbols, ideas and rituals to millions of fans, who have these idea impressed on their subconscious while they bob their head to the “dope beat” of the music. And in the case of Daft Punk, their inspiration shows a great deal about the spirit behind their music and performances.



In the same interview, the duo, revealed that their favorite movie and greatest inspiration is a movie called The Phantom of The Paradise. This sci-fi cult classic, is a movie about an aspiring rock musician who sells his soul to the Devil in order for his music to be performed by the women he loves so she can become a rock goddess superstar. In the film, the lead character is betrayed by a corrupt record company executive who also sold his soul to Satan in exchange for always remaining youthful in appearance. And the album the lead character was working is called “Faust” an allusion to the German folk tale character of the same name, about a man who sells his soul to the Devil in order to receive magical powers and knowledge for 24 years. So the running theme of the movie is clear: bargaining with Satan for fame and riches. And this movie is cited by Daft Punk as their main inspiration. Here is a poster for the film, Phantom of the Paradise.







In the film, the main character also happens to wear a black leather suit and helmet, the preferred style of Daft Punk.









This is the seduction that has taken over the entertainment industry: sacrificing morals, value and certainly the fear of God, in exchange for wealth, fame and numerous carnal pleasures. But like the Faustian legend of German folklore, the deal comes with an expiration date. Jesus Christ said:













And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? – Mark 8:34-37.











All the riches in this world are not worth an eternity in hell. This passage is not saying that it is wrong to make money, have material success or be famous. It is perfectly acceptable for a Christian to have all of these things. What the Scripture is saying is that if you put the pursuit of material riches above everything in life then you are setting up yourself to ignore God in your life and your need for His forgiveness.







So bold is the enemy, that the Devil even tried to tempt Jesus Christ with fame, power and riches:







And the devil, taking [Jesus Christ] up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. –Luke 4:5-8.







In this moment in history, the Devil took Jesus onto a mountain and gave him a supernatural vision of all of the kingdoms on Earth. And note that Satan made it clear that he had the authority to give power and wealth to whoever he chose. Satan has temporary authority in this world and can indeed reward those who serve him. But the cost was clear – worshiping him. Nothing with Satan is free. It all comes at the cost of being forced to rebel against God. In this instance, Satan was offering Jesus a chance to rule the world, something Jesus was prophesied to one day do as Messiah, but without dying on the cross. Satan’s temptation would have given Jesus rulership without ever giving His life. But that sacrifice on the cross was precisely why Jesus came to Earth – in order to save sinful humanity from sin and the clutches of the Devil.







Satan wants to offer every person “the Kingdom without the cross”, just as he did to Jesus Christ in the wilderness. But that “kingdom” is different for every person. It could be a multi-million recording contract. It could be a sinful romantic relationship. It could be living a life of crime. Or just living a normal “happy” life, working and making an honest living, but not believing in Jesus Christ. In all these situations, a person sacrifices their soul in exchange for earthly, temporary pleasures. And this temptation is especially strong, because all people by nature (this author included) are sinful and have strong desires to disobey God. This is the fallen state of humanity since the the Garden of Eden (again because of Satan’s deception).











And as we pointed out in our article on the satanic Ad from the 2013 Super Bowl, what Satan does not want anyone to remember, are the numerous entertainers who have died at young ages despite “having it all.” Many at their own hand, as they become drug addicts and deep in depression. Whether it is Michael Jackson, Heath Ledger, Kurt Cobaine, Amy Winehouse or most recently, Philip Seymour Hoffman, many, many multi-millionaire entertainers have ended up dead at shockingly young ages, due to their depression and demons. Do not be deceived.



















MacKlemore and Ryan Lewis – Same Love For Everything Except Christianity







“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”











The highlight of the Grammy was the performance of “Same Love”, a pro-gay marriage anthem by rappers MacKlemore and Ryan Lewis.  During the song 33 couples were married in a mass ceremony. Looking at the lyrics of Same Love, it is clear that the rap is a blatant attack on the Bible. Here are some excerpts:









A preconceived idea of what it all meant

For those that liked the same sex

Had the characteristics

The right wing conservatives think it’s a decision

And you can be cured with some treatment and religion

Man-made rewiring of a predisposition

Playing God, aw nah here we go

America the brave still fears what we don’t know

And God loves all his children, is somehow forgotten

But we paraphrase a book written thirty-five-hundred years ago

I don’t know







3500 years ago is the approximate time Moses wrote the first 5 books of the Bible. And rather than just promote their desire for gay marriage laws to be passed, the rappers instead mock the belief in the Bible, which clearly declares homosexuality a sin.















Love is patient

Love is kind

(not crying on Sundays)

Love is patient

(not crying on Sundays)

Love is kind

(I’m not crying on Sundays)







This part of the song is quoting 1 Corinthians 13 and then emphasizing the point that they are not going to be “crying on Sundays” or showing any repentance to the church for their homosexual love. Again, there is no question that this song is directed squarely at Christianity. Despite the fact that Islam calls homosexuality a sin, and in cities like London, there are actual “Sharia Patrols” where groups of Muslim men target and openly attack gays, ordering them to leave the city immediately, their actions and the Islamic faith somehow did not get nary a mention in Macklemore’s hit song. And naturally, this rap group received the Grammy award for Hip Hop Album of the year. Madonna then joined the ceremony which was officiated by rapper Queen Latifah. Notice that the entire set for the performance was meant to resemble a church:









The message is clear: Christianity must change from the Biblical definition of marriage. And many apostate churches already have, now becoming “gay-friendly” and no longer acknowledging homosexuality as a sin. But the Bible of course says that Christians are not to alter the Word of God: “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you. “ (Deuteronomy 4:2).



Gay marriage laws are determined by politicians, not pastors. Yet the pop culture superstars are aiming their sights on the churches. The governments of the world will do whatever they choose to do and that has no bearing on the Christian faith. But the spiritual enemies of the Cross of Christ (Satan and his spiritual minions) do not just want governments they want the hearts and minds of all people. Even self-professed Christians, like country singer Carrier Underwood, have gone on record saying that she no longer acknowledged homosexuality as a sin and attends a gay-affirming church. This is precisely what the Bible prophesied would take place as the end times approached.



Save Your Soul – Do Not Lose It







“The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.” – Psalm 145:8.





“ The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” – John 10:10-11.





The 2014 Grammys may have been a statement for the occult, but the Bible has a much stronger and more powerful message: God loves you. For all the sin, fornication, witchcraft and blasphemy that took place, Jesus Christ gave His life for Beyonce, Jay-Z, Madonna, Macklemore, and all the other artists who may have promoted sin at the Grammys. And He also gave His life for you. Despite all of our sins, all of our doubts, blasphemies and willing rebellion against God, His only plan is to bring us back into His family which we have removed ourselves from. The book of 1 John says:





And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.   If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. – 1 John 1:4-9.









God is ready and willing to forgive all people. We have to just humble our hearts, acknowledge our sins and ask for that forgiveness.  Rather than ignore that offer, carefully consider it, and learn the Gospel, the free forgiveness and eternal life found in Jesus Christ. Being a Christian is not about not listening to music or ever watching TV. It is about believing in Jesus Christ, reading and believing the Bible and living in accordance with the Scriptures. God handles the rest in turning our heart and soul to Him. There is happiness, mercy and eternal joy waiting. If you are not a Christian, it should be clear now that this abundance of satanic references in one program cannot just be “coincidence” or “conspiracy theory.”  The entertainers of today are now making their spiritual message blatant and in your face as can be. And if you are a Christian, understand that supporting music and entertainment that openly attacks the Christian faith or mocks Jesus Christ is endorsing rebellion. Repent and continue to spread the Gospel to help souls be saved.



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FREEMASON SHRINERS~GLOBAL WARMING~TRILATERAL COMMISSION
		
		
 

	
		
		
					

			
		

						

From the Communitarian Trap Blog:




Shriners, Global Warming, and the Trilateral Commission

























A symbol representing the origin of their ancient pagan roots. Note the crescent moon 





and star borrowed from Islam. 














Not much is said about the Shriners in our country, but they are a fraternity of Freemasonry.





In order to become a Shriner, the member must have completed 33 degrees of Masonry. 



By the time they work their way up to the highest levels of Masonry, they are fully 



indoctrinated Luciferians. 













Barry Goldwater (far right)[1]






One well known political figure was a Shriner. His name was Barry Goldwater, and he was the 



the Republican Party’s nominee for president in the 1964 election. His allegiance to the 



‘god of this world‘ and the future of Third Way Communitarianism, can be seen in the way he 



fought against the increasing influence of the Christian Right on the Republican Party. He 



became a vocal opponent of the Religious Right on issues such as abortion, gay rights, and 



the role of religion in public life, although the Republican Party has been able to rally most 



Christians into their camp.


For example, Goldwater once said: “The big thing is to make this country, along with every 



other country in the world with a few exceptions, quit discriminating against people just 



because they’re gay. You don’t have to agree with it, but they have a constitutional right to 



be gay. And that’s what brings me into it.”  [2]




He is right about that. Our country was founded by Deists and Universalists to worship a 



supreme being, not the Lord Jesus Christ. They worship Lucifer, the Lightbearer, and they 



are part of a Masonic hellbound cult. “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil, who 



put darkness for light, and light for darkness.” Isaiah 5:20 If Christians had a reality check, 



they would see that our countries founding was based on an anti-Biblical Masonic foundation, 



and it is the prototype for the One World Religion.  (see Ephesians 5:11 blog) “Whosoever 



transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in 



the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, 



and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: 



For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.” 2 John 1:9-11









An Inside Job 
Barry Goldwater was privy to the true founding and direction of our country – to take a lead 



in the future world government. In this telling quote about one of the strands of Satan’s evil 



web, Goldwater said:



















































In so many words, Goldwater’s quote had to do with Capitalist restructuring and globalism 



for the Third Way. The symbol for the Trilateral Commission has an interesting origin, but 



perhaps the three arrows also reflect a Third Way. It’s all one in the same.






It tends to remind you of the recycling logo – another link of in the chain of our false reality. 



Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev once said: “The environmental crisis is the cornerstone 



for the New World Order.”[4][5] 













It’s just more proof that we are caught in a Luciferian web of deception. “He [Satan] was a 



murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. 



When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” 



John 8:44“…until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: Which in his times he shall shew, 



who is the blessed and only Potentate [ruler], the King of kings, and Lord of lords;” 



1 Timothy 6:14,15






			

		

		
		

			
							

		


	

		
	

		
		
PCA REPORT ON FREEMASONRY 1987
		
		
 

	
		
		
					

			
		

						
    The 20 page report dated 1987 in the PCA Digest on Freemasonry within the Presbyterian Church in America is here for your inspection: http://www.pcahistory.org/pca/2-300.pdf.

    It references several other denominations which have published statements regarding the incompatibility of Freemasonry with Christianity and that those who are involved in Freemasonry while claiming to be Christian should repent by terminating their membership in the Masonic Lodge or affiliated female or youth focused Masonic organizations.

			

		

		
		

			
							

		


	

		
	

		
		
MAC ARTHUR ON FREEMASONRY
		
		
 

	
		
		
					

			
		

						
As noted before, the Southern Baptist churches are filled with and influenced by Freemasons. As such, the SBC has taken a somewhat neutral stand on the incompatibility of Freemasonry with Christianity, while other churches have clearly condemned it unequivocably. John MacArthur exposes Freemasonry in this video below: