The slavery of Freemasonry pt. 2

In the previous post, I discussed some of the statements and doctrines made by Masons in comparison to God’s word.  I will now discuss some Masonic practices to measure them against the Bible.  The practices of the Freemasons are many and are given various meanings at the lower degrees to hide their true meanings which are often only disclosed when one reaches the 33°.

The use of symbols

Here are a few of the symbols with their meanings:

• Compass & square: Masons at lower degrees are told that the square symbolizes the squaring of his actions and the compass is to make sure he stays within the boundaries of mankind and fellow Masons.  The “G” in the middle stands for God who shows us the light so we can accomplish these goals.  As a whole, the symbol stands for the point within the circle.

According to Albert Mackey, the Master Mason, “The point within the circle is an…important symbol in Freemasonry…The symbol is really a beautiful but somewhat abstruse allusion to the old sun-worship, and introduces us for the first time to that modification of it, known among the ancients as the worship of the phallus.” (Mackey, Albert.  The Manual of the Lodge.  New York: Clark Maynard Co., 1870, p. 156)  So in reality the compass & square are symbolic of the male and female sex organs coming together to form the  “G” which is the “generative principle”, i.e. sexual intercourse.  Since there is an emphasis on sexual intercourse, is it any surprise that men in Masonic organizations like the Shriners have been rumored as committing sexual harassment against women?

• Baphomet, the horned god:  Masons claim they inherited this symbol from the Knights Templar (who fought in the religious, ungodly wars of the Crusades on behalf of the Vatican).  The Templars claimed that Baphomet taught them the secrets of magic which enlightened them.

As you can see from the picture, this so-called horned god is the same as the well-known goat’s head used by Witches and Satanists.  In Jesus’ parable, the sheep were separated from the goats on Judgment Day and the goats were the ones who were rejected and sent to hell.

• The pentagram, or five-pointed star: This is symbolic of the five points of fellowship in Freemasonry.  However, the pentagram is a prominent fixture in occultic practices.  In reality, the pentagram refers to “the law of fives.”  This law of fives appears in two different forms of two orders within the Masons.  In the order of the Palladium, there are five steps in their program, namely:
  • Adoption: fellowship with Lucifer by an oath
  • Illumination: to open oneself to psychic powers by using drugs and the occult
  • Conversation: communicating with the dead (necromancy)
  • Congress: being joined in spiritual marriage to the dead (possession by an evil spirit)
  • Union: being totally controlled by an evil spirit

In the Order of the Illuminati there are five stages that they try to control human history with:  (1)Chaos: no set order, (2) Discord: a class arises to seek control, (3)Confusion: making attempts to resolve conflicts between stages 1 and 2, (4) Bureaucracy: the obsession of monitoring everything in a society, and (5) Aftermath: the decline of society that leads back to stage 1.

• All-seeing eye: Freemasons claim this is the eye of God, who is always watching us and sees everything we do.  This eye is actually part of step 2 of the Palladium mentioned above which teaches that to open the Third Eye (the Ajna chakra in Hinduism), one must use drugs and learn the occultic methods of the Illuminati.  When this eye is opened, the person becomes psychic and has open fellowship with Lucifer.
• Unfinished Pyramid with the All-seeing eye:  This symbol on the back of our dollar bills is borrowed from the mysticism of ancient Egypt, referring to the eye of an Egyptian deity.  The founding fathers called this the “Eye of Providence,” reflecting their deism, which is religious in nature, but not Christianity.  To the higher Masons, it denotes the Masonic hierarchy with those who have been illumined (Illuminati) to Lucifer’s power at the top.  The unfinished pyramid means that the ultimate goal of the freemasons (one world government with a one world religion) has not been accomplished yet.  On our dollar bills, you will notice at the bottom of the pyramid is 1776 in Roman numerals.  That date is actually referring to the year the Illuminati began which happens to be the same year the founding fathers declared independence from Britain.  “Annuit Coeptis” means “He [Providence] favors our undertakings.”  “Novus Ordo Seclorum” means “new order of the ages.”  The U.S. government in February 2008 tried to debunk the idea that the seals on the back of the U.S. dollar are masonic in nature, but our government has been known to follow the policy of “lie and deny” when it suits them.  There are too many coincidences occurring in these symbols for them to be non-conspiratorial and non-Masonic.

It’s obvious that these symbols are adopted from pagan practices and are anti-Christian in nature.

The use of oaths

Before joining the Masons, the person is told by the Master of the Lodge while blindfolded and dressed in tattered clothes symbolizing slavery, “Mr. so-and-so, before you can be permitted to advance any farther in Masonry, it becomes my duty to inform you that you must take upon yourself a solemn oath or obligation, appertaining to this degree, which I, as Master of this Lodge, assure you will not materially interfere with the duty that you owe to your God, yourself, family, country or neighbor.  Are you willing to take such an oath?” (Duncan, Malcolm C.  Duncan’s Masonic Ritual and Monitor.  New York: David McKay Co., Inc., p. 33)

If he agrees, he ends his oath by saying, “All this I most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, with a firm and steadfast resolution to perform the same…binding myself under no less penalty than that of having my throat cut across, my tongue torn out by its roots, and my body buried in the rough sands of the sea, at low-water mark, where the tide ebbs and flows twice in 24 hours, should I ever knowingly violate this…obligation.”  (Duncan, Malcolm C.  Duncan’s Masonic Ritual and Monitor.  New York: David McKay Co., Inc., pp. 34-35)  In other words, “if I break my oath, you have my permission to murder me.”

When someone reaches the Royal Arch degree, he vows “I will keep all the secrets of a Companion Royal Arch Mason (when communicated to me as such, or I knowing them to be such), without exceptions. …I will not speak evil of a Companion Royal Arch Mason, behind his back nor before his face, but will appraise him of all approaching danger, if in my power. …[I will] employ a Companion Royal Arch Mason in preference to any other person of equal qualifications.” (Duncan, Malcolm C.  Duncan’s Masonic Ritual and Monitor.  New York: David McKay Co., Inc., pp. 229-230)

Jesus said, “…ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all…But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.” (Matthew 5:33-34, 37)

“Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.” Matthew 23:10.  There’s one Master and he’s definitely not the Master of the Lodge.

Furthermore, it’s clear these oaths are contradictions and lies.  When he is first initiated, the person is told he will not have to materially interfere with anyone by his oath.  Then at the end of his oath, he gives them permission to kill him.  Isn’t that a material interference?  Additionally at the Royal Arch oath he has to keep secrets no matter what (another material interference if someone has been harmed) and he promises to show favoritism in his hiring practices (which is another blatant material interference on a non-Mason’s life).  Apparently the oaths don’t mean much if you can break them by using another oath.

Taking into account these practices by the Freemasons which fly in the face of God’s word–teaching people to embrace paganism, lies, favoritism, and deceptive practices–how can a Christian remain involved in such an organization?  Could they use the excuse that the Lodge is a big help to them in getting to know important people?  Should they be a part of it because its family tradition?

Jesus said, “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:26

“But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.  Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.” 1 Corinthians 10:20-21

Therefore, a Christian who is giving his sacrifices of money, time, and other resources to the Lodge is fellowshiping with devils and needs to examine himself.  If he is truly of God, he will not continue to allow anyone or anything jeopardize his relationship with God.  Freemasonry is about being the slave of Lucifer, otherwise known as Satan.

Source: Schnoebelen, William.  Masonry: Beyond the Light. Ontario, CA: Chick Publications, 1991.

–posted by Harry A. Gaylord–

The slavery of Freemasonry pt. 1

Freemasonry is an organization that supposedly dates back to ancient times and it is difficult to determine who started it and how they started it.  There are documents mentioning it in the 1300s and afterwards, but it is believed that consistent documentation of the organization did not take place until 1717 when the Grand Lodge of England was formed.  There are different stages in freemasonry that a member can advance to, called degrees, with the 33° being the highest one can reach.

Freemasonry, with several of the Founding Fathers including George Washington and Benjamin Franklin being Masons, enjoyed a great deal of popularity when the U.S. was first established as a nation.  But this popularity suffered a severe blow when Captain William Morgan, a Royal Arch Mason, was abducted from a  jail in Batavia City, New York in 1826 and was murdered by a group of Masons for openly revealing the secrets of the Masons.  The Masons responsible for his death were never punished for his murder.  Since the judge involved in the trial was a Mason himself, it became a popular notion that there was a cover-up in play regarding the Morgan affair, and most U.S. citizens began an anti-Mason campaign which was strong for several decades in the 1800s.  Nevertheless, Freemasonry bounced back since many prominent figures in the U.S., including Presidents, kept joining the secret society. 

Masons often present themselves as being a harmless secret fraternal society that loves to do charitable work.  Many people who have no involvement with freemasonry often look at it as being suspicious since Masons are so secretive about what they do and what they believe.  Is freemasonry really harmless or should we beware of them?  Are they a religion or just a social organization?  Let’s take a look at some of the things that are taught in the Lodges and see if they are in line with the ultimate truth–the word of God.

• A highly respected 33° Mason named Albert Pike (who was also a Confederate general in the U.S. Civil War) once said “Every Masonic Lodge is a temple of religion and its teachings are instructions in religion. …Masonry propogates no creed except its own most simple and sublime one; that universal religion taught by nature and reason.” (Pike, Albert.  Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry.  Charleston, SC: Supreme Council of the Thirty-Third Degree, 1950, p. 213).
• The Bible says man should live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God (Deuteronomy 8:3) and that he should not rely on his own reasoning (Proverbs 3:5) since our ways are always right in our own eyes (Proverbs 21:2) which leaves us open to deceive ourselves.
• Albert Pike claimed that “[t]o understand [freemasonry's] mystic meanings, you must open the pages of the Sohar and Siphra de Zeniutha, and other kabalistic books, and ponder deeply on their meaning. It must suffice to say, that … the Creative Energy of the Deity, is represented as a point, and that point in the centre of the Circle of immensity. It is to us in this (33rd) Degree, the symbol of that unmanifested Deity, the Absolute, who has no name.” (emphasis mine.  Pike, Albert.  Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry.  1871)
• The Bible says the one true God of the universe is not unmanifested.  He has manifested himself in the flesh in the person of Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 3:15-16).  Additionally, the true and living God has a name, which is stated in several places in the Bible (see Exodus 6:3 and Psalm 83:18). 
• According to Albert Mackey, another highly regarded 33° Mason, the god of freemasonry can be any god you choose.  “Be assured…that God is equally present with the pious Hindu in the temple, the Jew in the synagogue, the Mohammedan in the mosque, and the Christian in the church.” (Mackey, Albert.  Mackey’s Revised Encyclopedia of Freemasonry.  Richmond, VA: Macoy Publishing, 1966, pp. 409-410).
• Jehovah said “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”  Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father [Jehovah], but by me.”
• Albert Pike once said, “Yes, Lucifer is God, and unfortunately Adonay is also god.  For the eternal law is that there is no light without shade, no beauty without ugliness, no white without black, for the absolute can only exist as two gods: darkness being necessary for light to serve as its foil as the pedestal is necessary to the state. …                    Thus the doctrine of Satanism is a heresy; and the true and pure philosophical religion is the belief in Lucifer, the equal of Adonay; but Lucifer, God of Light and God of Good, is struggling for humanity against Adonay, the God of Darkness and Evil.” (de LaRive, A. C. La Femme et l’Enfant dans la Franc.  Paris, France: Maçonnerie Universelle, 1889, p. 588.
• The word of God states that God is light and in him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5).  Lucifer was created by God and is in no way his equal since he is not omnipotent, omnipresent, or omniscient like the most High is.  Lucifer wanted to be like the most High but he was cut down to hell (Isaiah 14:12-16).
• The Knights Templar ritual that an initiate goes through in Masonry teaches that in order to be saved, an initiate has to do works of penitence and undertake long pilgrimages and fight to defend the Christian religion.
• God’s word says we are saved by God’s grace (unearned favor) through faith in Jesus Christ.  Works have nothing to do with us receiving salvation and the defense of our faith is by our words not by physical violence.
• Freemasonry holds to the doctrine that Jesus is neither divine, nor did he rise from the dead.
• It is written, “…every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist…” (1 John 4:3)
• Albert Pike said, “No man has any right in any way to interfere with the religious belief of another.”  In other words, no preaching of the gospel allowed.
• Jesus commanded, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you…” Matthew 28:19-20.

Albert Pike and his influence on Freemasonry

Albert Pike (1809-1891) has been one of the most influential Masons to walk the Earth.  As I mentioned above, he fought for the Confederacy as a general in the Civil War and his racist, segregationist views are why, even until recent times, American lodges of the Scottish Rite have resisted recognizing lodges that are mainly African American.  He stated in his book Irano-Aryan Faith and Doctrine As Contained in the Zend-Avesta that:

“…both the Creation account of Genesis and Darwin’s theory of evolution were false because the white man could not have come from the same source as the black man!”

The fact that he disputed the Biblical account shows that Pike, who claimed to be Christian in public, was in fact anti-Christian in his actions.  The Bible cleary states God “made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth,” [Acts 17:26].  His anti-Christian nature is further proven by his membership in the Theosophical Society, an occultist organization founded in 1875 for the purpose of “spiritualist investigations” (including seances and sorcery) with Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, a famous occultist, as his friend and associate. [David Carrico, Lucifer--Eliphas Levi--Albert Pike and the Masonic Lodge, Evansville, IN: Followers of Jesus Christ, 1991, p.  14]

 Pike held the positions of Grand Master of the Central Directory of Washington, D.C., Grand Commander of the Supreme Council of Charleston (top position of American Masons), and Sovereign Pontiff of Universal Freemasonry (top position of worldwide Masons) all at the same time.  He alone was responsible for writing or rewriting all Masonic rituals from the 4th degree to the 33rd degree. [William T. Still, New World Order: The Ancient Plan of Secret Societies, Lafayette, LA: Huntington House, 1990, p. 124; Henry C. Clausen, Messages for a Mission, Supreme Council, 1977, p. 20]

A lot of Masons claim they don’t know about Albert Pike, but Masons of higher degrees have a great deal of respect for him even more than 100 years after his death.  Fred Kleinknecht, Sovereign Grand Commander of the Southern Jurisdiction of Masonry wrote the following about Pike in the November 1992 Scottish Rite Journal:

Correctly understood, Albert Pike’s Morals and Dogma provides our Brethren a stimulus to thought, a source of inspiration, and even an aid to Scottish Rite growth.  Pike’s great work is not the book of an hour, a decade, or a century.  It is a book for all time …

I’ll give more info on freemasonry in my next post.  To find out more about the philosophies of the highly regarded Mason, Albert Pike, go to the Project Gutenberg website to read his writings.

–posted by Harry A. Gaylord–

Harry Potter & the Apostate Youth Workers

According to the Telegraph in England, the Church of England is encouraging its youth workers to use the Harry Potter books to promote the gospel.  They have published a guide giving their youth leaders ideas on how to use the underlying themes of the Potter books of good vs. evil to relate them to the Christian message.

Anglican religious leaders are now describing J. K. Rowling’s books and movies as “great fun” and the author as a “great storyteller.”  These leaders are now claiming that Rowling is no different than Jesus telling parables to get his audience to think about their choices in life.  In their opinion, the witchcraft and magic in the Harry Potter series is harmless and is no different than what we see in C. S. Lewis’ books.  Owen Smith, who wrote the guide, denies that these books and movies steer kids towards the occult.

It’s rather obvious that like so many church leaders today, the Anglican leaders have either not read the Bible or they have a blatant disregard for what it says.  How can they not see that the Potter books do, in fact, promote witchcraft by making it look innocent?  Even Wiccans think they use their powers for good.  I believe that like so many religious leaders, they are more concerned about getting a larger following at any cost.  Jesus told parables to get his followers to think about the kingdom of heaven and submitting to God’s commandments which are a result of God’s love.  The intent was to glorify God.  Rowling’s series is about using powers that originate from ungodly beings to manipulate other beings to one’s advantage, be it good or evil, to glorify people.

Many of the practices by Harry Potter and his friends or classmates, like casting spells and using chemicals to help or hurt people, are not fiction but happens everyday in the real world of those who actually practice witchcraft.  Rowling probably had to have done research on witchcraft (or practices it herself) to have gotten some of the rituals in her book so accurate.  Yes, a lot of it is fiction, but there is enough truth about witchcraft that would make a vulnerable child want to seek out more information on how to exercise the powers that Potter and his friends display.

The Bible is the most powerful book in the universe.  God’s word has been changing people’s lives for thousands of years and offers what no other religion can–eternal life in the presence of God.  But I guess that’s not good enough for religious churchgoers who have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof.  Witchcraft, whether it’s portrayed as good or evil, is one of the things that paves the road to hell (Galatians 5:19-21). 

“Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept [doctrine] of men:” Isaiah 29:13

“There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.” Deuteronomy 18:10

“Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen…” Jeremiah 10:2

–posted by Harry A. Gaylord–

  

Countdown to sackcloth and ashes: 5 reasons to pray for America

The United States is truly a nation at a crossroads, as has been stated so many times in recent years.  But, of course, we have been at a crossroads several times in the past when it came to the establishment of this country, slavery, the Civil War, the first two World Wars, the Vietnam War, and the Civil Rights Movement.  The U.S. made it through all of those by God’s grace.  Our country needs lots of prayer now just as much as it has in the past and I don’t mean just any prayers to just any god, but prayers to the one true God, Jehovah.

“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:1-4

Here are five reasons why the U.S. needs prayer:

5.  The majority of people in this country don’t know Jesus Christ.  America has a reputation of being a Christian nation, but nothing could be further from the truth.  We have the most influence around the world and most of that influence promotes ungodly ideas, especially when people from our corporations go to other countries to work and trade.  Corporate workers and American tourists have a tendency to take their sinful habits with them such as the demand for pornography, prostitution, greed, and child sexual abuse.

4.  Children are not loved like they should be in the U.S.  Instead of seeing children as a blessing from God, we all too often see them as burdens.  All one has to do is look at how many millions of babies are murdered each year before they’re born in this country and look at the reasons why young ladies kill them.  It is rarely due to health concerns.  Then we have parents who don’t mind exposing their children to harmful things like drugs and alcohol or illicit sexual relationships where the parents have several sex partners even if they’re married.  I watched Bill O’Reilly tonight talk about the San Diego Padres’ game where they had Kids’ Day and Gay Day on the same day.  Many parents were upset, but there were also many parents who didn’t mind their kids being exposed to homosexuality and felt their children should be open to “diversity.”

3.  Other nations would love to see the U.S. fall.  In some instances, it’s because they have the false impression we are a Christian nation and they hate Christianity.  In other instances it’s because we support Israel and they hate Israel without justification.  Personally, I believe that’s one of the reasons America has not received the full wrath of God.  We also have the Vatican working against us behind the scenes because they hate democracy and would rather have governments worldwide force their citizens to be papists.  But there are cases where the U.S. has held to policies that are immoral and caused harm needlessly to other countries as was recently exposed by some of the illegal actions the CIA has taken abroad.  Nevertheless, our country has been spreading the gospel worldwide and still has some worth for that reason.

2.  Our churches are becoming more apostate and heretical.  Too many churchgoers have become like the live frog in the kettle where the heat was slowly turned up until he was cooked to death.  False doctrines have crept into churches to the point where the people don’t believe in the inerrancy of the Bible and think that there are several ways to get to God.  The lines between so-called “Christians” and heathens are becoming more and more blurred.  I would even go so far to say that a lot of people in American churches who call themselves Christians really aren’t based on the evil fruit that they’re bearing in their lives.

1.  Our government leaders lack wisdom and morality.  We have several states who can’t agree on budgets because governors and legislators want taxpayer funds to be used for their own pet projects.  We have a President who wants us to merge with Canada and Mexico and is willing to sell us out to continue or establish unfair trading practices for that purpose.  He’s also too stubborn to admit his mistakes or listen to advice that doesn’t agree with his policies, and bends over backwards to keep his administration operations secret by snubbing his nose at Freedom of Information requests or valid subpoenas while at the same time expecting that the lives of private citizens should be open to his snooping under the PATRIOT Act.  Then we have a Congress who can’t seem to come up with a way to resolve the healthcare problems or immigration problems yet at the same time wants to pass a Hate Crimes Bill that threatens the freedom of speech of Christians or anyone else who wants to speak out against the sin of homosexuality.

Yes, America truly needs our prayers.

“At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.  And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.”  Jeremiah 18:7-10

“And Jonah began to enter into the city [Nineveh] a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.

So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.  And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.  Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?

And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.”  Jonah 3:4-10

Should there be reorganization or repentance?

“United Methodists to vote on reorganization

By Ken Kusmer

Associated Press

United Methodist Church leaders in Indiana will vote this week and next on whether to create a single new conference for the state’s largest Protestant denomination that would change the way it’s governed and possibly reverse years of declining numbers.

A reorganization plan that delegates will vote on would unite the North Indiana and South Indiana conferences …

The Rev. Adolf Hansen of McCordsville, co-chairman of a joint planning team, said the plan … would instead create an entirely new organization in which local congregations discern their ministries and form clusters with other congregations that then would connect with one another regionally.

‘We don’t want it to be business as unusual, only on a larger scale. We think the creation of something new is far more energizing,’ Hansen, vice president emeritus of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Ill., said Tuesday.

The Rev. Cynthia Reynolds, the church’s Warsaw District superintendent and co-chair of the planning team, is confident delegates will vote to unify.

‘I think it will be supported. I really feel people are open to discern what God is leading us to do,’ Reynolds said. …

[Indiana Bishop Michael J.] Coyner, who presides over both conferences, also predicted a unification vote. Doing so would streamline the church’s bureaucracy and free resources to focus on growing a combined membership that has been in steady decline, now numbering 208,700, down 7 percent from where it was five years ago.”

Excerpted as reported in The Indianapolis Star.

The United Methodists have for several years preached a different gospel than the one preached in the Bible.  Their version of the gospel does not encourage people caught up in sin (like sodomites) to repent.  It also allows people of different religions to share their false doctrines in their churches.  Is it any wonder their numbers have declined?  I suspect that those who left were tired of sticking around with the hopes that the churches would change for the better.

One of the leaders in this article claimed that creating “something new” would energize their churches.  The only thing that can really energize a church is the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8) who comes when the genuine word of God is preached, but it’s obvious from his statement that people getting genuinely saved is not their concern.  “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) and this is the newness these spiritually dead churches need.  They appear to be more interested in religious fads. 

Another thing that disturbs me is how the leaders in this article have religious titles before their names like “the Rev.” this or that.  Talk about vain pride and self-exaltation!  Jesus was against using religious titles (Matthew 23:8-10).  There is only one person in the universe that should be called reverend and that’s God (Psalm 111:9).  Like it says in Proverbs, “Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall,” and that’s another contributing factor to their declining numbers.

Another church leader states that the people in their churches have God’s discernment to do what they should, but if that were the case why are they promoting things that are contrary to God’s word in their congregations?  “…[T]hey have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they showed difference between the unclean and the clean…” (Ezekiel 22:26).  “They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.” (Titus 1:16)

These churches not only need reorganization, they need repentance.  Maybe they should repent first and then reorganize.

–posted by Harry A. Gaylord–

An examination of the ex-Christian

While doing searches of the internet on Christian topics, I have come across plenty of websites and blogs where people claim to be former Christians who have now left the faith to become everything from atheists to witches.  They boast of how they have turned their backs on Christianity’s concept of God.  My question is were these people truly saved?  Can anyone who is truly saved completely forsake the gospel?

For the sake of being clear about who is a Christian, my understanding is that a Christian is one who believes that Jesus is Lord (i.e. God) and that he was resurrected on the third day from the grave.  This belief in Jesus includes repentance of sin and results in the desire to live by the principles established in God’s word.  Simply put, a Christian is someone who is saved from their sins and saved from the eternal punishment for sin called hell.

Now, back to the ex-Christian.  Let’s see what the scriptures say–

“But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.  My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.” John 10:26-29

“And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.” Matthew 10:22

“Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. …he that received the seed (God’s word) into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.”  Matthew 13:18, 20-21

“They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.” Luke 8:13

“For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” 2 Corinthians 7:10

“And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled…to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;” Colossians 1:21-23

“Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.  They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” 1 John 2:18-19

God’s true followers have eternal life–a new life that lasts forever.  They are the ones who endure to the very end being grounded and settled in the faith. 

According to Jesus in the parable of the sower, there are some who have an emotional and mental acceptance of God’s word, but the word of God does not penetrate down to their hearts so they eventually leave the faith for whatever reason.  Maybe they blame insincere, hypocritical churchgoers or they were too in love with sin, but in the end there is no valid excuse for rejecting Christ.  Hebrews 6:4-8 and 2 Peter 2:20-22 (which have been misinterpreted to argue that Christians can lose their salvation) are talking about these kind of people.  They may from time to time feel sorry for their sins, yet it is not the godly sorrow that leads to repentance.  The perfect example of this type of person is Judas Iscariot.  He participated in Christ’s ministry and even worked miracles like the other disciples, but he was the son of perdition.  The other disciples couldn’t tell he was a devil.  In Matthew 27 when he realized he had shed innocent blood by betraying Jesus, he was sorry for what he had done, but it was worldly sorrow which then led him to kill himself.

1 John 2 gives the strongest case against these people.  They turn their back on the faith because they were never really saved to begin with.  If they were really saved, they would never claim to be an ex-Christian.  Even the term “ex-Christian” is a misnomer because there is no such thing as an ex-Christian.  Once you are saved, you are always saved.  There’s no divorcing Jesus Christ because anyone who truly has a relationship with him doesn’t want to leave him.  So anyone calling themselves an ex-Christian has deceived themselves, is deceived by the devil, and is attempting to deceive others.  They are antichrists and are liars.

–posted by Harry A. Gaylord–

Sweet deceptions: Catholicism and Christianity blow-by-blow

Contrary to what is commonly taught concerning the founding of Roman Catholicism, Peter was not the first pope or founder.  The Catholic Church was started by the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great in 337 A.D.  As he witnessed the weakening of the Roman Empire and how it was divided into paganism vs. Christianity, he devised a religious system that he thought would combine the two in order to save the empire.  He took the pagan Roman gods and goddesses and renamed them with the names of New Testament biblical saints and proclaimed he had converted to Christianity.  In secret, he continued his worship of the sun god Sol (better known as Baal).  He welcomed both pagans and Christians into his new religion and the Roman Empire was rebirthed as the Holy Roman Empire.  True Christians refused to fall for the deception and continued to be persecuted, but many of them went into hiding.  Here are some of the beliefs held dear by Roman Catholicism compared to God’s truth:

• Roman Catholicism teaches that Peter was the rock on which the church was built based on Matthew 16:18-19.
• The true rock upon which the true Christian church is built is Jesus Christ.  Jesus actually said, “That thou art Peter (Petros, a small stone or pebble), and upon this rock (petra, a huge boulder or bedrock) I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”  This was said to Peter by Jesus to address the confession that Peter made about Christ in Matthew 16:16.  We have a second witness of what the name Peter means in John 1:42–”And when Jesus beheld him, he said, “Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone [a pebble].”  Peter even calls Jesus the rock, or petra, in 1 Peter 2:8.
• Roman Catholicism teaches that their traditions are equal to the holy scriptures (Catechisms 80, 82).
• Jesus said the traditions of men cause the transgression of God’s commandments (Matthew 15:2-6).  Paul even rebuked the believers at Colossae for subjecting themselves to religious ordinances established by men (Colossians 2:20-23).
• Roman Catholicism says the priest has the power at mass to turn the wafer and wine into the actual body and blood of Christ (transubstantiation), thereby sacrificing Christ over and over, which would mean Christ’s sacrifice was no different than the Old Testament sacrifices under Mosaic law that had to be sacrificed over and over.  Anyone who denies transubstantiation and refuses the eucharist is accursed and is therefore worthy to be put to death (Canon 1 of the Council of Trent, 1563).
• Hebrews 10:10, 14 says it was only necessary for Christ to die once for everyone and through the one-time offering of his life, those of us who believe in him are sanctified and perfected (made complete).  Taking communion is taken in remembrance (as a memorial) of Christ’s sacrifice (1 Corithians 11:24, 26).  1 John 3:15 says murderers do not have eternal life, so a genuine Christian will not actively seek someone’s death who disagrees with him.
• Catholicism teaches that only the Pope and his bishops can interpret the scriptures (Catechism 100).
• The Bible teaches us that the Holy Spirit in every believer teaches us the meaning of the scriptures and it is not necessary for us to depend on men to do this for us (1 John 2:27).
• Catholic Catechism 491 states that Mary never sinned.
• Romans 3:23 says all have sinned and come short of God’s glory.  2 Corinthians 5:21 names Jesus Christ as the only one ever who knew no sin.
• Catholics teach that Mary is the mother of God (Catechism 495).
• The Bible states Mary is either called the mother of Jesus or “the mother of my Lord” by Elizabeth, which was just her way of acknowledging she would give birth to the Messiah.  God, since he is eternal, has no mother.  Jesus also said “For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.” (Mark 3:35), thereby discouraging any deification of Mary.
• Mary remained a virgin, according to Catechism 966.
• Matthew 1:25 says Joseph knew (had sexual relations with) Mary after Jesus was born.  According to Matthew 13:55-56, Jesus had four literal half-brothers and several literal half-sisters.
• Catholicism secretly teaches that all non-Catholics are heretics and that it is not a sin to kill them since it is God’s will for them to be wiped off the face of the earth because they want to destroy the Church. (Council of Trent)
• The Bible says murder is sin, without exception, and that murderers will ultimately burn in the lake of fire (Revelation 21:8).  True Christians are taught to love our enemies and do good to them.
• “The Roman Pontiff judges all men, but is judged by no one.  We declare, assert, define and pronounce: to be subject to the Roman Pontiff is to every human creature altogether necessary for salvation… That which was spoken of Christ… ‘Thou hast subdued all things under his feet,’ may well seem verified in me.  I have the authority of the King of kings.  I am all in all and above all, so that God, Himself and I, The Vicar of God, have but one consistory, and I am able to do almost all that God can do.  What therefore, can you make of me but God?”–Pope Boniface VIII in his Bull Sanctum, November 18, 1302. (Note: This declaration has never been rescinded or denied by any Pope who came after Boniface VIII)
• 2 Thessalonians 2:4 says anyone who shows himself to be God or claims to be “above all” is antichrist.
• Catholicism states that salvation is only through their church and can only be received if one fulfills their sacraments (Catechisms 846, 1129).
• True Christianity teaches that only grace through faith in Christ, not religious works, can save.  Once a person confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord as a result of believing in their heart that he rose from the dead on the third day, he is saved and his salvation, if genuine, will result in works (Romans 10:9-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; James 2:17-26).

I think it’s clear that the doctrines of true Christianity and the doctrines of the false Christianity of Catholicism are diametrically opposed.  For more on the false doctrines of Roman Catholicism, click here.

The idolatry of Lent & Easter

In ancient times, the first day of the week immediately following the first full moon after the spring equinox was set aside as the festival of Astarte or Ishtar (pronounced Easter), the moon goddess.  This is why the day moves around each year.  Astarte  (also called Ashtoreth or Ashtaroth), according to pagan mythology, is the wife of Baal (also called Sol), the sun god.  The festival in her honor was established as a celebration of the earth’s rejuvenation after winter.  In honor of the day, the ancient idolaters fornicated (had sex outside of marriage) because it was considered a time of reproduction.  This is how the rabbit and the egg, symbols of reproduction, became associated with Easter.

Astarte and Baal had a son named Tammuz, who was killed by a wild pig.  To mourn Tammuz, Astarte, who held the title “queen of heaven”, called for her followers to give up meat or any other thing that gave them pleasure for forty days before the festival.  In the days before the forty day period started, they participated in wild parties of drunkenness and lewd behavior.  During the forty days they often made cakes to eat in honor of Astarte and Tammuz.   Then on the feast day, a pig would be eaten since a pig killed Tammuz.  The rituals for Easter were to begin at sunrise with her worshippers facing the east.

Worshipping the queen of heaven is one of the things that angered God against ancient Israel (see Jeremiah 44:17-27).  They also defiled God’s temple by worshipping Tammuz and Baal there (see Ezekiel 8:14-16).

Our churches claim that this season is in honor of Christ, but based on all of the pagan symbolism involved, I beg to differ.  Christ was crucified right after passover, during the days of unleavened bread.  According to the scriptures, passover is celebrated the 14th day of the month Abib (April) followed immediately by the days of unleavened bread which last until the 21st of the month (Numbers 28:16-18; Deuteronomy 16:1-8).  Passover is also celebrated with a lamb, not a ham!  So Christ was resurrected the first day of the week that followed passover, not on Easter, which is always the first Sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox.  Sometimes they coincide, but not all the time.

Clearly, lent and Easter and everything associated with them are remnants of idolatry.  It is often argued that these type of celebrations are harmless since Christian symbolisms have now been assigned to replace the pagan meanings.  Maybe mankind accepts them, but God does not.  He has always and will always hate pagan rituals, even if we attempt to “Christianize” them.  “Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.   For the customs of the people are vain …” (Jeremiah 10:2-3a).  If their customs are vain, why should Christians adopt them at all?  God hates it when we try to teach the fear of God with the doctrines of men–

“Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” (Mark 7:7)

“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments [principles and customs] of the world, and not after Christ. … Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, … after the commandments and doctrines of men?” (Colossians 2:8, 20, 22)

The bad “-isms” of Buddhism

Siddhartha Gautama started Buddhism in the 6th century B.C. in India as a protest against Hinduism’s Brahman priests who abused their power over the people.  Buddhism has so many sects whose beliefs are all over the map, but here are some of their most basic teachings in contrast to God’s truth:

• Buddhism teaches that man can exercise his own mental discipline to overcome suffering in the world and bring about his own spiritual advancement. (Buddha The Gospel, “The Annihilation of Suffering” chapter)
• God’s word teaches that man overcomes suffering only through Christ (John 16:33; 1 John 5:4-5) and that man’s spirit is dead without Jesus (Ephesians 2:1; Colossians 2:13).
• Buddhist teachings praise Siddhartha Gautama as higher than all men and all gods. (Buddha The Gospel, “Words of Instruction” chapter)
• The Bible says Yahweh is the supreme God (Isaiah 45:22-23).
• Buddhism says people exist in an endless cycle of rebirths (reincarnation) that are determined by karma. (Buddha The Gospel, “Name and Form” chapter)
• The Bible says man is appointed to die once and after that comes God’s judgment (Hebrews 9:27).  Our acceptance or rejection of Christ determines our eternal state (John 3:36).
• Buddhism teaches that man needs salvation from this endless cycle of rebirths and this salvation (nirvana) only comes by fulfilling an “Eightfold Path.” (Buddha The Gospel, “Enlightenment” chapter)
• God’s word says man is in need of salvation from his sins and this salvation can only come by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Our works cannot save us (Ephesians 2:8-9).
• They teach that when an individual obtains nirvana, they are like a god. (Buddha The Gospel, “The Widow’s Mite and the Three Merchants” chapter)
• The Bible says man will never be a god and the desire to be like a god comes from Satan (Genesis 3:5).

“[L]et God be true, but every man a liar.” (Romans 3:4)

Source: Paul Carus, Buddha the Gospel, Chicago, The Open Court Publishing Company, 1894.

They may be witnesses–but not for Jehovah (updated 3/2/08)

Jehovah’s Witnesses (the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of PA) got its start in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell in Pittsburgh, PA.  They were originally called Zion’s Watch Tower and Tract Society, but Joseph Franklin Rutherford (the second leader of their organization) gave them the name Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1931.  Here are some of their heretical beliefs compared to the truth as found in God’s word:

• They created their own version of the Bible to take out words that disagree with their doctrine and to add words that agree with their doctrine.  It is known  as the New World Translation.
• God says no one should add to or take away from his words (Deuteronomy 4:2; Proverbs 30:5-6; Revelation 22:18-19).
• They believe Jesus Christ returned to earth in 1914 in invisible form.
• God’s word says when Christ returns to earth, every eye will see him (Matthew 24:30; Revelation 1:7).
• They deny there is a Trinity.
• The Bible says there is one God who manifests himself in three persons (1 John 5:7).
• They deny the Holy Spirit is a person.
• God’s word says the Holy Spirit is a person (John 14:26 where Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as “he”).
• They deny Jesus Christ is God.  To them he is a created being, an angel, who came in the form of a man.  According to their publication Let God Be True, p. 33 (1952 ed.), “…he was a God (sic) but not the Almighty God, who is Jehovah…”
• God’s word says Jesus Christ is Creator and is therefore God (John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16).
• According to them, Jesus was not resurrected bodily but was only resurrected as an eternal, invisible spirit.
• According to the Bible, Christ was raised in a physical body that hundreds of his disciples saw and touched (John 20:24-28, 1 Corinthians 15:3-6).  He even ate food with his disciples after he resurrected (Luke 24:40-43; John 21:10-15) and spent 40 days walking the earth after he was raised. Furthermore, “every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world,” (1 John 4:3, emphases added).
• They teach that only 144,000 believers will actually live in heaven while the remaining believers will live in a paradise on earth established by Christ.
• God’s word says that there will be so many saints in heaven that no man can number them (Revelation 7:9).
• They teach that the wicked will be annihilated (i.e. they will be wiped out of existence) when Christ establishes his paradise on earth.
• The Bible teaches that the wicked will live forever in the lake of fire after Christ’s physical return (Revelation 21:8).
• “Jehovah’s Witnesses” claim that hell does not exist.  “…the Bible hell is mankind’s common grave…,” according to their publication Let God Be True, p. 92.
• God’s word says it does exist and that it’s a place of punishment for unbelievers (Isaiah 5:14; Luke 12:5).

As you can see, they may claim to be Jehovah’s witnesses, but Jehovah has nothing to do with them. (Updated March 2, 2008)