The Church And Freemasonry

Evans Nicholson, Choosing Truth Ministries www.ctmin.org

Christians who have become members of Freemasonry or Masonic affiliations have usually done so with good intentions out of ignorance. Generally the church has failed to provide information or any warnings to these Christians so that they might have made a Godly choice in this matter. However, every day there are more ex-Masons and former members of the Masonic fraternity within the Christian Church giving testimony to the deadly deception of Freemasonry. Men and women who have renounced and repented of their participation within this occult organization having been set free in Jesus. Often these Christians face opposition and persecution from the church where Freemasonry competes with God’s Word. On occasion threat of violence, including threat to life occurs. Such is the nature of Freemasonry with the spirit of darkness that operates within those who have entered into covenant relationship with the Great Architect Of The Universe, the god of Freemasonry.

In fulfilling Scriptural instruction, Ex-Masons for Jesus www.emfj.org states the following:

Ex-Masons for Jesus is an organization of Christian men and women who were once members of a Masonic Lodge or one of the affiliated Masonic organizations such as Eastern Star, DeMolay, Job's Daughters or Rainbow Girls.

We have left Masonry because of our commitment to Jesus Christ and a realization that Masonry is not consistent with a sincere expression of the Christian faith. We have found that participation in Freemasonry interferes with a close relationship with Jesus Christ.

We seek to expose the non-Christian nature of the teachings of Freemasonry and to make ourselves available to witness and testify of our firsthand knowledge. Our purpose is to encourage others to renounce Freemasonry and through education, to prevent still others from being seduced into joining.

We stand upon the Holy Bible as the inerrant Word of God and are admonished by the words of Paul:

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. II Corinthians 6:14 – 7:1 (KJV)

The Christian Church in its own form of ignorance, fear or denial is generally unaware of the infiltration process at work or that one of the goals of Freemasonry is to destroy the church from within. In the epilogue to Rev. Charles G. Finney’s book, ‘The Character, Claims and Practical Workings of Freemasonry’, page 202-203, John Daniel reports on this process; Freemasonry’s Retaliation Against The Church. In his book on page 158 Rev. Finney writes, “Refusing to renounce is adherence. Adherence makes them partakers…”. Ephesians 5:11 says, “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them”. So by refusing to expose the unfruitful deeds of darkness in obedience to God’s Word Freemasonry is allowed into the church. Rev. Finney could have said, ‘Silence is consent. Consent makes them partakers…’ Silence in dealing with darkness gives the appearance of compatibility. There are some who argue and believe that since Freemasonry is within the church that it is a Christian organization. There will be those led astray by Freemasonry within the church and others led astray by the silence from the church.

The link to John Daniel’s report has been attached as page 5 which also includes an article reporting infiltration within the Southern Baptist Convention. As to the depth of this infiltration it’s estimated that up to 40% of the pastors could be Masons. Accurate figures are often difficult to obtain when dealing with the deceptive nature and influences involved. So how is it possible for the church to be infiltrated to such an extent? Rev. Harmon Taylor, who had been the Grand Chaplain to 150,000 Masons in the state of New York from 1983-1984 provides part of the answer. In his article A Pastor And Freemasonry - What's A Pastor To Do he writes, “I would never have become involved in Freemasonry if a pastor had preached even the poorest of sermons against Freemasonry in my youth. If he even whispered in my ear. I spent 11 years in Masonry. I defended it to my family, my church, and my colleagues. May God forgive me!” Contact information for Rev. Taylor is available in the above link to his article.

Can it really be that the church itself has failed to uphold God’s Word and His standard in this matter? Rev. Pierce Dodson, a former Southern Baptist pastor presents an inside look at the struggle for truth within the church in his story, Freemasonry: The Trojan Horse Within The Church available for downloading from our web site. In looking at the infiltration of the Southern Baptists and struggles within this denomination we acknowledge that almost every denomination has suffered various degrees of infiltration whether seen or unseen. It doesn’t matter which denomination or how much the infiltration. What matters is how we in our respective denominations respond and come to the assistance of others towards freedom in Jesus from this deadly deception.

What response should the church take in regard to Freemasonry? The best answer is of course as the Holy Spirit leads according to His plan and purpose in obedience to God’s Word. In responding to Freemasonry I know of at least one church that will not allow Masons within its spiritual boundaries. While this may not be a response that I would personally advocate I would submit to the pastoral authority of that church and support both the pastor and the decision of that church. As an ex-Mason I know that God loves Masons and I believe you need to reach out to them with His love and truth. When asked what to do about Masons in the church, I believe the first thing you should do is to make sure they’re saved and then with the Holy Spirit in their lives deal with the Masonic issues. On the other hand if you have Masons in leadership positions you have a problem that will separate and bring destruction to the church unless dealt with. This separation and destruction can be a subtle process as illustrated by John Daniel’s report or it can lead to a church split with one part in submission to God and one part in rebellion as seen in Pastor Pierce Dodson’s story.

Rev. Barry Smith makes the following comments from his book ‘Second Warning’ on page 103;

Any born again Christian who attends a church where any of the leadership is

involved in these lodges should ask them to read the preceding chapter, and leave

the lodge. This applies to:

Bishops

Ministers

Pastors

Elders

Deacons

If they refuse, you must leave that church, for it is under the sway of witchcraft and finally the dominion of Lucifer.

Picture in your mind, this church leader drawing his right thumb across his throat, with a black hood over his head and ask: "Do I really need spiritual assistance from this person?"

Rev. Mick Oxley shares the following on page 15-17 from his publication ‘Islam, Hinduism, Freemasonry... From Paganism To Christ’. Contact information on our web site.

” But there was still no fullness in my life. The words of Jesus found in Matthew 7:21-23 spoke to me: "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS'." The words spoke directly to me: "You call Me Jesus, your Saviour, your Lord – yet you practice things I have not taught you. Depart from Me, I never knew you; you are a worker of evil."

I yearned for a one-on-one walk with Jesus. I asked advice of my fellow officers and friends in the American Church on the base in Holland where we lived. They had no good answer because they didn't understand Freemasonry. My American friends told me that I was just a "back-slider." They didn't recognize that I was being led by the Holy Spirit to accept Jesus as the Lord of my life. I was a member of the church, but I had not yet been filled with the Holy Spirit. I finally got down on my knees, as I should have done long ago, and asked Jesus what was wrong! One word came back to me as though shouted from heaven, "Freemasonry!" I knew in a flash that I was in trouble with the real God. As if I need confirmation, a letter came that very morning from our youngest daughter, Debbie, in London. In the letter she said, "You have to get out of Freemasonry, Dad! You know it is evil, it is Satanic, and you will never walk with God until you do".

That day my wife, Betty, helped me burn all my Masonic Regalia – my aprons of all the degrees I had been through, my gloves, gauntlets, sashes, charity jewels – presented to me because of my support of the Royal Masonic Hospital, the Royal Masonic Schools for both boys and girls, all my Masonic books, certificates, and everything connected with Freemasonry. Betty prayed with me while I repented of ever being a Mason. I confessed my sin of evil. I broke the Satanic curses upon me from Freemasonry, from Islam and Hinduism. But I knew that the bondage of Freemasonry was much stronger than any other of the occult religions!

After all my wanderings and searching, I was able to finally separate myself from the Spirit of Darkness and repent and confess and ask God's forgiveness of all of the evil in which I had been a participant. The Lord Jesus Christ heard my cry, and for the first time in my life, I felt the weight of all the evil lift off me. As Jesus said in John chapter 8, "If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.” I came then into the Spirit-filled Life of Jesus Christ. My life changed from that moment. The scriptures in the Bible became fully alive to me.”

● ● ● ●

What response should a pastor take in regard to Freemasonry? Rev. Harmon Taylor says in his article, “The one thing that Pastor’s can’t do, is nothing! A pastor is accountable to God Almighty for Christ’s sheep in their flock”. He goes on to say, “Preach boldly as we are instructed in Acts 18:9, Col. 1:28, 2 Tim. 4:2-5, Heb. 2:11. Know that there will be rewards for any persecution that you may face as recorded in James 1:3,12.

• Pray for guidance and direction

• Study Freemasonry together with your Bible. Write down your thoughts.

• Share your thoughts with Masons when you're sure enough not to be deceived by their

• uninformed or misinformed tales.

• Proclaim from the pulpit the dangers of the double walk of Christianity and Freemasonry. Let your flock know again that they cannot serve two Masters, nor can they have any other god before them. (Masonry permits any and every god at their altar).

  If you are a pastor, thank you for listening and may God bless you as you serve Him and your flock for the Glory of God.

  If you are a layman, your pastor needs your support and your help. Pray for your pastor, then share this article. Continue to pray with expectation for your pastor and be ready to assist your pastor in proclaiming the Truth and setting free the oppressed!

When considering our pastors and our churches, there are some things we should be sensitive to. Foremost I believe it is necessary to check our motivations. Whether we are on a crusade for something to do or whether we truly support our pastors seeking freedom for our churches. Are we being led by the Holy Spirit, or our own motivations? Prayer is the best place to start to see where we are and where He wants us. As to our pastors, we also need to be sensitive to the burdens we place upon them. Freemasonry is probably one of the most difficult issues facing the church. In supporting our pastors we recognize that no man can or should be expected to take on the spiritual opposition and warfare alone. We need to join with our pastors to build the church with and around them. Where Satan will utilize a variety of strategies against the church, we must also be prepared to utilize the resources and weapons provided for our warfare to defeat him. Sometimes we call upon other components of the Body with greater resources or experience to join with us. In a practical sense, our prayer groups, intercessory groups and the resources of others within the Body are needed to confront the many facets of Freemasonry. He may instruct us to reach out in love and compassion or He may lead us into direct confrontation with the forces of darkness. Our motivations and our hearts will need to be prepared for how He will lead us as we submit to His Lordship.

I was a Christian when I became a Mason. After becoming a Mason other Masons in the church began to greet me as I had become a part of the Brotherhood. A part of a secret society within the church with a dark agenda for control of the church that most Masons are unable to recognize due to the spiritual impairment involved. As a Christian Mason I was double-minded and unstable in all my ways. James 1:8. My church had failed to confront the deadly deception of Freemasonry. The Masons in the congregation were free to actively recruit members from within; unopposed. Does Ezekiel 3:18 apply to you or your church?

When I say to the wicked, "You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to

warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his

iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Ezekiel 3:18

It should also be noted that even if you don’t have Masons in your church you may have members whose fathers or grandfathers were. In such cases you could be dealing with the Generational Curses involved in Freemasonry, which could have a profound affect upon the church. To assist the church, Masons and their families Choosing Truth Ministries provides our resource materials as free downloads off our web site. We encourage the reproduction of all materials for those in need of freedom in Jesus. There are one-page articles such as, The Christian, Lucifer and Freemasonry that can be easily and economically used for outreach. I know of one church that posts this article on their bulletin board, giving notice of their position in relation to God’s Word in this matter. We also provide contact information to other ministries with their resources. In the near future we will be adding Testimonial Praise Reports from those sharing encouragement for others in this difficult area that brings blessings as captives and the oppressed are set free. “Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” James 5:20

Note:

If you have received this article as a hardcopy all of the underlined subject titles are direct links

on our web site.

FREEMASONRY UPDATE

SOUTHERN BAPTISTS THE STORY GOES ON... AND ON

Over the last year or so, we have commented on the tainted report on Freemasonry generated by the Southern Baptist Home Missions Board. The problem was that Dr. Gary Leazer, the man in charge of the study, was getting “clandestine” help in its preparation from Masonic friends.

A letter surfaced during the study, written by Leazer to one of the Masonic leaders, thanking him for all the help and making several depreciating remarks concerning those who were opposed to the lodge. That letter had Leazer removed from his job as head of the study, but both Leazer and the report continued on at the HMB without correction. No more. His obvious ties to the Lodge have now gotten him ousted.

In the Columbus Dispatch, dated 11-6-93, Religious News Service writer David Anderson reported,

“Larry Lewis, president of the Home Missions Board, said he requested Leazer’s resignation for “gross insubordination” following publication in October of a speech Leazer gave to a Masonic group.

“Lewis said Leazer’s Aug. 8 speech violated an order to “refrain from any and all involvement in the Freemasonry issue.”

Lewis told Baptist Press, the denomination’s official news agency, he had accepted Leazer’s resignation Oct. 22.

“He has clearly violated that directive and in doing so has demonstrated his unwillingness to submit to the authority of his supervisors,” Lewis said. Whether Baptists can also be members of a Masonic Lodge has been a volatile issue.”

We pray that the Southern Baptists wake up and see that this Masonic influence will never leave them until they leave it!

Nov/Dec 1993 – Page 4

Saints Alive Newsletter, Wa, USA

PHONE: 1-800-861-9888

www.saintsalive.com

Epilogue: Freemasonry’s Retaliation Against The Church

1998 by John Daniel page 202-203

A Masonic pastor of the First Congregational Church of Salt Lake City sums up the attitude of many Masonic pastors and Masonic laymen of today. He is quoted in the Masonic book The Craft and the Clergy, written by 33rd degree Freemason Rev. Dr. Forrest Haggard, as saying, “I am in a mighty army of men who have committed themselves to minimize the importance of moral and ethical teachings.”

This brings us to phase seven, the Masonic infiltration of American churches. In 1926, the Scottish Rite published an article in its January New Age Magazine telling Masons to join Christian churches. It was an order coming directly from the Supreme Council at Charleston, South Carolina, the head quarters of Universal Freemasonry. Written by W.B. Zimmerman, the article entitled “Let There Be Light,” stated that every Mason “should cast his lot with the Church – to help vitalize it, liberalize it, modernize it and render it aggressive and efficient – to do less is treason to your country, to your Creator, and to the obligation you have promised to obey.” Each Mason was to follow these instructions as directed by his local lodge.

A Mason’s obligation is more powerful than any law of the land. Under oath he obligates himself to carry out all orders given him by the Masonic hierarchy. Consequently, following the publishing of this article in 1926, Masons throughout the United States flocked to join local Protestant churches. In time these Masons worked their way into church leadership. And in time they turned the evangelical churches materialistic and lukewarm.

….

Matthew 16:18 is our encouragement; “upon this rock (Jesus Christ) I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Taken from: The Character, Claims and Practical Workings of Freemasonry by Charles Finney 1869

Epilogue by John Daniel pg 202-203

www.scarletandthebeast.com