FAMILY SECRETS

Friend, let me begin by asking you a question: "What may be the biggest, richest, most secret and powerful private force in the world?" Well, in a moment we are going to talk about this force that has many family secrets that are even kept from their own family members themselves. Yes, this force and power today has more than four millions followers in the United States alone, including 76 members of Congress and many pastors, elders, deacons and Sunday school teachers. What's more the influence of this powerful group is felt throughout the world. Well, have I created an interest? I hope so, because I'm going to talk about FREEMASONRY, or the organization better known as the Masonic Lodge, a secret society that has many family secrets you need to know about.

As a Christian pastor of a fundamental Bible-believing and teaching church, I have been confronted at times with Christians who either want to or have joined the Masonic Lodge. In the course of their membership they have claimed such fellowship is not in conflict with being a Christian. Yet, the more I've explored this fraternal order, the more I'm convinced that what they stand for, needs to be fully known by the public upon which they draw their membership.

So today, I want to share with you some "family secrets" of this fraternal society and you be the judge whether it is compatible with Christianity or not.

We must of course begin by asking the question, "What is Freemasonry?" The answer is it is a powerful centuries old fraternal order, that according to its own authority emerged in the latter part of the 17^th century. It appears to have been a revived organization that reappeared in Britain in the year 1717, with the founding of the first Grand Lodge in London, England. Today followers also called "Masons," hold that their society traces its roots back to the Old Testament stone cutters who built King Solomon's Temple. Their trade secrets were passed on to those who were in fraternal fellowship, where they met in guild or lodges until the Middle Ages, where the group somehow disbanded, until revived. This group never really had favor with the religious community. It was condemned for centuries by the Roman Catholic Church and banned by Greek and Latin American governments. However, the Masons seemed to draw the most unlikely but influential people into their membership. Yes, men like George Washington, America's first President and war hero was one. Also, Benjamin Franklin and more recently Harry Truman, Gerald Ford, Chief Justice William O. Douglas, Potter Stewart, Hugo Black and Earl Warren are among the names of Masons.

However, what's most alarming is that many of today's followers are also members and leaders of many evangelical churches in America and the world. Now that we've established the fact that this is a very influential group, we need to also set the ground work to show that it is also a very "secret," clandestine type of organization. The secrets are considered "family secrets," that must not be shared with anyone outside of the group. These secrets are called Masonic rituals and oaths. However, those who have come out from this organization have shared some of these secrets that certainly raise the hairs on anyone's head. For the rituals and oaths an initiate is to take clearly is something that a knowledgeable Christian would never do.

Yes, those who join the Blue Lodge must enter by the first three degrees which establishes them as a family member. The degrees are known as (1) Entered Apprentice, (2) Fellowcraft, (3) Master Mason. From there a mason can go higher up and receive more degrees of membership in either the York Rite or Scottish Rite Masonry. In addition, to the Shriners and high-degree Masons, there is the Order of the Eastern Star for women, the Order of DeMolay for teenage boys, and the Order of the Rainbow for teenage girls.

Now the secret oaths the initiate must swear to are so hideous, that one wonders how a sane person, let alone a Christian could ever do so. Masonic members are told to recite blood curling oaths to tear open their left breast or have their bowels taken out and burned in ashes should they reveal Masonic secrets. Mason handbooks threaten members who disclose confidences, with curses of throat-slashing, tongue removal, and burial at the edge of a lake or pond. I'm told that that third-degree Masons, called Shriners, utter oaths to be penalized for violating rules by having their eyeballs speared and their feet flayed. Yet in the midst of this brutal, godless and sick oath taking, the Mason's are noted to some degree for doing much philanthropic work. Today Freemasonry sponsors more than 22 Shriner hospitals for crippled children and run nationally recognized burn centers.

So what's so wrong with this group that seems to have a strong family fellowship of its members and families, and does a lot of good work? The answer is very simple it is anti-Christian and greatly dishonors God, in its work, its organization and purpose. Now you ask how is that? Well let me tell you.

Secret societies with mystical origins, symbols, secrets and belief are of course centuries old. What do they have in common? The answer is at the core of their structure, they can be traced back to demonic occultic organization, control and worship. Now I admit, many who are lower echelon members are not directly involved in the occult, nor do they know about this truth. Those who are members of the Blue Lodge rarely are initiated into the deeper and darker corridors of this societies teachings, but none the less it is there and can be substantiated.

Most who enter the Lodge today do so mainly for the purpose of fellowship or for an opportunity to be involved with doing some kind of good work. However, this does not cancel the truth about the family secrets of this organization. So let's get on with it and do some comparisons.

To begin, we ask, "what does the Lodge teach about Jesus Christ?" The answer is "he is just a man, an exemplar perhaps but nothing more." Freemasonry also teaches that Christ is not the only means of redemption. In fact, they go so far to teach that Jesus Christ was nothing less than a human being naturally born of Joseph and Mary, but not the Son of God. As such, Masonry deletes the Name of Christ from its prayers and Scripture quotations. Moreover, discussion about Christ is forbidden during lodge activity. So in short, Masonry denies Christ His rightful place in humanity and the world of men. To relegate Christ to this inferior position is to totally deny Him. Jesus Christ Himself and the Bible writers have consistently said,

John 8:24 (NIV) "I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins.""

1 Timothy 2:5-6 (NIV) "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all men--the testimony given in its proper time."

1 John 4:3 (NIV) "but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus [as the Christ] is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world."

Indeed the Christian faith says those who refuse to give Jesus Christ His rightful place among men - that is the preeminent place of all worship, adoration and praise - are not Christian, and are enemies of God and Christ.

Now what does the lodge teach about the God and the Bible? Freemasonry says, the Bible is merely one of the holy books, but no better than the Koran, Hindu Scriptures or Chinese or Greek Philosophers writings. Freemasonry teaches that the Bible is not to be believed literally, for its true meaning can only be understood by an enlightened few. What's more they teach the literal meaning is for the ignorant masses. As a result Masonry believes it has the authority to remove references to Christ in quoting from the Bible in ritual usage. In fact, Masonry is not based on the Bible at all, its religious foundation is based on an ancient book called the "Kabala," a medieval book of magic and mysticism; hence, its occultic origins. Now, as to who God is, for the Mason God is referred to as "Deity, the force of nature, the sun, even as sexual parts of the male body, these are used to refer to God."

So, Masonry is a revival of ancient pagan mystery religions - its gods and goddesses are fertility, representing the sun, and the moon. And, as one passes the dark corridors of initiation into the higher degrees , such as the Royal Arch degree, they are soon initiated into learning of the real god of Masonry, called "Jahbulon." This says Freemasonry is a composite name for Jehovah ( Jah), Baal (Bul or Bel), and Osiris (On, a corruption of Os.) So you can see the real god of Masonry is really a corrupt blasphemous pagan god, certainly not the God of the Bible. Now the Scriptures have much to say about equating Jehovah, the true God revealed in the Bible, with pagan deities. Listen to God's Word on the matter,

Isaiah 42:8 (NIV) ""I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols."

Baal, Osiris and other pagan deities were wicked evil representations of demonic spirits who courted worship from the Canaanite and Egyptian peoples. To call God by such names is to bring the wrath of God upon you. No Christian knowingly would ever do that or belong to any group that taught such blasphemous things about God.

Lastly, what does the lodge teach about Satan? Well in the beginning, he is not mentioned much, but as one progresses up the ladder of the secret society they soon learn that the real god they serve is Satan himself. Yes, you heard me right Satan himself. You don't believe me ? Then just listen. In the early degrees of Masonry, the initiate learns that Satan is an enemy of God, an evil power seeking to tempt, deceive and destroy. As one progresses through the higher degree secret rituals, they soon learn "Satan really doesn't exist" But going higher up things change. Satan is revealed as "one who has been distorted by the Christian faith. He is really not evil but good, the instrument of liberty (a light bearer)." [1] And finally in the 33^rd degree stage, the fully indoctrinated believer comes to learn the greatest secret - Satan or "Lucifer is the [true] god of good and light" [2].

How deceptive, how demonic and how occultic this really is. This is why the occult and spiritism flourishes in this organization in the hidden secret chambers of the heart of its leadership.

No, Satan is not the light bearer, nor is he a misunderstood entity that is really the bearer of good and light. The Bible says he is a fallen evil spirit condemned to Hell for all eternity, but for a season is free to interact among men. At present, he rules this world as we can see through deceptive organizations such as Freemasonry, but one day he will be destroyed by God forever. Yet, the secret teachings of the Masonic Lodge are truly anti-Christian paganism which the wrath of God abides upon. Any Christian involved in this organization must renounce their membership and blasphemous oaths taken, confessing this to God.

Some years ago an elderly man in another church I served came to me very troubled. He told me many years ago he join the Masonic Lodge. As a Christian he soon learned it was wrong. But he feared the oaths taken and never left it. Yet God spoke to his soul and brought him to the place he had to leave. So with my help, we prayed together for God to release the bondage of his soul and give him strength to publicly renounce his oaths taken. With great grace, he did that, writing a letter of resignation, renouncing the bloody oaths, and asking his Christian brothers and sisters to forgive his compromising faith. I tell you the moment he did that, his soul was free and God truly blessed him and gave him rest.

If you know someone you love that is involved in Masonry, you need to get a copy of the broadcast either on tape or in booklet form to them, and encourage them to do the same. They at the least need to know the Christian perspective and the truth about the family secrets, that await them on the day of judgment unless they get out. One cannot be a Christian and confess to these demon inspired teachings. The Bible warns us all,

2 Corinthians 6:14-17 (NIV) "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial ? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people." 17 "Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.""

Let us friend, be so warned that goodness is not godliness. Satan we are told in Scripture, parades as "an angel of light." He comes to us bearing the mark of light and goodness, but cloaked beneath is darkness and evil. While those today who are Masons, should not overall be charged with being devil worshippers, or demonic henchmen, the vast majority are deceived. In fact, deceit is the proud mark of Masonry. Listen to the words of Martin Wagner in his work, "FREEMASONRY: AN INTERPRETATION," pp 142, 150.

"the neophyte (initiate) comes to the lodge ignorant of its nature, religious character and methods of instruction, and therefore is disqualified to discern the Masonic ideas conveyed by the mimic rites, symbols and art speech. He does not know that a double meaning is attached to these symbols and art speech, so that the most ordinary language is made to carry a deep religious and ethical meaning which very few apprehend." [3]

Albert Pike, the supreme pontiff of universal Masonry also says,

"The initiate…is intentionally misled by false interpretations. It is not intended that he shall understand them, but is intended that he shall imagine he understands them…their true explication understanding) is reserved for the Adepts, the Princes of Masonry." [4]

This deception of the Blue Lodge Masons is why the majority are ignorant of what I have revealed to you from reliable sources. However, deceitfulness is not a mark of God but of the enemy of souls, Satan himself. So I say to you in closing. If you are a Christian, do not be deceived any longer. Confess your deceit, reexamine your place in God's kingdom and these evil practices, and obey God's Word. "Come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord." Have nothing to do with the evil forces of darkness and turn to the true light of the world, Jesus Christ our Creator God and Savior. For in him we live, move and have our being - all else will one day be destroyed and cast into the Lake of Fire.

Masons may be philanthropic, even contribute to various good charities, but being good is not godliness. In fact to do God and be good without God is the greatest sin in the universe. Satan's sin is seen to be in his desire revealed in Scripture,

Isaiah 14:14-16 (NIV) "I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High." 15 But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit. 16 Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: "Is this the [one] who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble,"

Yes Satan's desire was to "be like God" If you want to do good works, have fellowship and make your life count. Then join the family of God by putting your trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. A simple prayer like this will suffice.

"Dear Heavenly Father, I respond to your invitation and come to you in the name of Your Son Jesus Christ. I come with all my sins, heartaches and addictions. I turn from all my evil to You Lord Jesus. I place my faith in You alone. You are the Son of the Living God. I believe with all my heart what I now confess with my mouth, that You are my Savior, my Lord and my God. Thank you for accepting me as your Word promises. I open myself for Your holy Spirit to enter and dwell in me, and I commit to follow You with your divine help, now and forever more. I believe You and receive You. I ask this in Jesus' Name. Amen!"

If you can pray that prayer with me right now and mean it with your heart, you have God's promise you are saved out of sin and granted full forgiveness unto life eternal. That is a far cry better than the works oriented false religious system of Freemasonry or any cultic like organization. Jesus Christ said,

John 8:36 (NIV) "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."

This is the wonder and beauty of true Christianity. May it be so in your life today, now and forever more. Amen.

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FOOTNOTES, RESOURCES & SUGGESTED READING:

[1] MORALS & DOGMA, Albert Pike

[2] MORALS & DOGMA, Albert Pike, 32^nd Degree,

[3] FREEMASONRY: AN INTERPRETATION, Martin L. Wagner, p.288

[4] MORALS & DOGMA, Albert Pike p. 819

1. THE SECRET TEACHINGS OF THE MASONIC LODGE, "A Christian Perspective," John Ankerberg * John Weldon, Moody Press, Chicago, IL.; 1990.
2. LARSON'S NEW BOOK OF CULTS, Bob Larson, pp 236-239, Tyndale House Pub. Wheaton, IL. ;1989.
3. EXPOSING & CONFRONTING SATAN & ASSOCIATES, Wendell Amstutz, pp 98-101,NCRC Box 87, Roceshter, MN 55903; 1991
4. I LEFT THE LODGE, by Dale Byers, Regular Baptist Press, Schaumberg, IL.
5. SATANISM, Ted Schwartz & Duane Empey, Zondervan Publishing, Grand Rapids, MI.; 1988.
6. THE FACTS ON THE MASONIC LODGE, Eugene Oregon; Harvest House; 1989.

For further information, reprints, or a listing of all topics, please write to our speaker, Dennis L. Finnan(wwyfin@sparc.isl.net), or visit our webpage at [ http://www.isl.net/wwyweb.html ].