Possibly worth the read & research, you be the judge?
Men in Obscene Red Fezzes!
I am going to tell you things here that you may have never heard, and some which will be hard to believe. If you have thought of Masons and the Shriners in a positive light because they do all those nice things for kiddies and old people, this will definitely burst your bubble. The Bible says that Satan walks to and fro on this earth masquerading as an 'angel of light' that many might be deceived. See if you don't agree.
Many people go into Freemasonry today believing that it is just a philanthropic organization that does a lot of good work. They see advertisements for the Shrine hospitals and the Masonic homes for the elderly; many view it as a fraternal organization, kind of an advanced boy scouts. One survey said that many men get into it out of social reasons; their friends are in it; or they think it is a good place to network and do business.
What Freemasonry is, claimed in their own books, is a revival of the ancient mystery religions of Egypt and Balbak, and from Persia and India. Albert Pike in his "Morals and Dogma" and Albert Mackey in his "Encyclopedia of Freemasonry" say that masonry is a religion and that every Masonic lodge is a temple of religion. It is interesting that many Christians have gotten into this religion not understanding how pagan it is.
For example, in a large church in Texas, the elders went to their pastor when they heard that a guest, who has written against Freemasonry, was to speak and asked that the booking be cancelled. It turned out that almost all of the elders were Masons of local lodges, the Sunday School superintendent was the Supreme Potentate of a Shrine, and many members of the congregation belonged to these organizations. They were given the facts, references to their own 'secret' documents and books, and cross references to Scripture on the subject. They held an emergency meeting which lasted unti 4 in the morning. After studying these discrepancies, they returned to the pastor and told him that every one of them had resigned from their lodges.
This is happening all over America and the world. The Masons, by their own statistics, have gone in the 1980's from 4 million members to under 2 million members in 1996 (according to the Dallas Morning News). As Masons examine their own writings, and look at what Freemasonry is teaching, they realize it is not compatible with being a Biblical follower of Jesus Christ.
Where Lodge Initiations and Rituals Originate
Everyone who joins the local lodge joins what is called the Blue Lodge, the meeting center, and has to go through an initiation ceremony. Every Mason, including those in our churches today, have gone through this initiation; it is the only way you can get into the lodge. The first thing that happens is that a blindfold is put on them, a noose (called a cabletoll) is hung on their neck, their shirt is opened to bare their chest, and they are brought to the outer door of the lodge. There, a sharp point (of a compass or a dagger) is placed on their chest. Someone then asks, "Who comes?" to which candidate states "A poor, blind beggar looking to move from darkness to the light of Freemasonry." They are then brought (pulled by the noose) into the Masonic lodge where they must bow at an altar. Behind the altar stands a man they call the Worshipful Master of the Lodge (the leader of the lodge). Again the candidate makes his plea for Freemasonry. After answering a series of questions, the mason to be takes a series of blood oaths and promises not to reveal the secrets of Freemasonry that he will learn -- upon having his throat cut from ear to ear.
These are some of the actual oaths a Mason must take: In the first degree of the Blue Lodge, "Binding myself under no less a penalty, than having my throat cut across, my tongue torn out from its roots and buried in the rough sands of the sea..." In the second degree, "Binding myself under no less a penalty, than that of having my left breast torn open, my heart plucked out and given as prey to the wild beasts of the field and the foul of the air..." In the third degree (Master Mason Degree), "Binding myself under no less a penalty, than that of having my body severed in twain, my bowels taken from thence and burned into ashes..."
For a Christian to go through this, you have to ask several questions: How can a follower of Jesus Christ, go to a Masonic Lodge, ask for membership, and say I am lost in darkness and I need the light of Freemasonry? If you read First John chapter One, it says, If you claim that you are lost in darkness the Light (of Jesus Christ) is not in you and you are living a lie.
Secondly: How can a Christian bow at an altar before a man that is called the Worshipful Master? Jesus said, You cannot serve two masters. There is only one Worshipful Master and that is Jesus Christ.
Lastly: How can a Christian take a pagan blood oath, swearing to have your throat cut from ear to ear, your heart given to the beasts of the field, your body cut in two and your bowels thrown into the sea? Those pagan blood oaths were forbidden by Jesus in Matthew chapter 5 and in the book of James.
Going Up?
And these aren't only in the initial initiations; as a Mason goes through the higher degrees o the Scottish and York rites, the oaths are more hideous. Once completing the three degrees of the Blue Lodge, a mason is then allowed to go into either the Scottish rite of Freemasonry which has 32 degrees or the York rite which has 13 degrees. These are advanced degrees where you learn the secrets of Freemasonry. As one progresses through the degree work of these rites, they tell you that you are on a quest to find the lost name of God.
The Masons have this story that somehow in the building of Solomon's Temple, the architect Hiram Abif lost the name of God. Masons claim that they have found this name and only very advanced Masons know the secret name of God. In a Masonic ceremony this name is whispered by three men in the lodge to one another. The name is "J-B-O", or "Jobulin"; three names put together -- Jehovah, Baal, and Osiris. Jehovah, the God of Israel, Isaac and Jacob; Baal, the fertility god of Balbak that Elijah fought against (and beat); and, Osiris, the Egyptian sun god of phallic worship. The Masons have combined this into a three headed monster which they say is the Trinity. Well, Jesus is not going to share His glory with any other; but the Masons attempt to do this. Is it a demotion of the Messiah or a promotion of the other two gods?
Who's Your God?
As a Mason goes through the 32 degrees of the Scottish rite, he ends up giving worship to every Egyptian pagan god, the gods of Persia, gods of India, Greek gods, Babylonian gods, and others. As you come to the 17th degree, the Masons claim that they will give you the password that will give him entrance at the judgment day to the Masonic deity, the great architect of the universe. It is very interesting that this secret password is "Abaddon".
Now I've heard that name before, so I looked it up in the Bible. Check it out for yourself, in Revelation chapter 9; it says, "The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss [the bottomless pit]...and smoke came out of the Abyss like that of a great furnace..." (It goes on to describe those in the abyss, then continues) They had a king over them, the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon..." The 'angel' of the Abyss (Hell) is really the chief demon whose name is Abaddon. Masons claim then, that the diety they worship is Abaddon! Not God. Not Jesus. But the number one servant of Lucifer (Satan).
Masons have mixed idolatry, paganism, the occult, fertility cults, demonology, and put it into a blender and come up with the Masonic religion. It is not of God; it is a false religion.
Can You Believe This ?
There are Christians, all over the world, who even today, suffer greatly and some have even give up their lives because they refuse to compromise their faith in Christ. And yet, professing Christians who are involved in the highest ranks of Freemasonry honor the persecution of Christians.
When a Mason gets to the highest degree of the Scottish rite or the York rite, he is then allowed to go into what is called the Shrine. You may have seen them in parades, wearing their red fezzes with the sword and crescent emblem on them. You hear about the Shrine circus and the burn centers for children run by the Shriners. People think isn't this a nice fun organization, they do so much good for crippled children and others. But . . .
In order for a person to become a Shriner, he must not only go through all the degrees of Masonry, make all those blood-curdling oaths, worship gods who are not gods except they are of Satan, but he must make a blood both of allegiance to Allah as his god and Mohammed as his prophet.
The Shriner is then given a red fez with an Islamic sword and cresent jeweled on the front of it. This originates from 7th century Arabia when the Moslems, under the leadership of Mohammed, slaughtered all Christians who would not bow down to Allah. Allah, by the way, was not another (generic) name given to God by Mohammed; Allah is the tribal deity --the moon god-- of Mohammed; it was the name of the god in the tribe that Mohammed was born into. That is why every mosque today has a crescent moon on the top of its spire.
Now when Mohammed's army of men, out to slaughter all the 'infidels', came to the city of Fez, in Morocco, they found a community of Christians. After killing all the Christians there with their Islamic-style swords, they took their hats (called a fez) and dipped them in the blood of the Christians, and wore the fezzes throughout the land glorying in their victory over Christianity. Today Shriners put on red fezzes (representing the hats dipped in the blood of Christians) with the Islamic sword and crescent showing their allegiance to Allah and Mohammed (and the defeat of Christianity). If you are a Christian, and you are a Mason or a Shriner reading this, you have no business being part of a lodge, no business being part of a Shrine. I encourage you, for your own eternal sake to repent of it and get out of it immediately!
Will Building Hospitals Get You Into Heaven?
Many men have gotten involved with Freemasonry and do not (did not) know what they were really getting into. Yet, you have to ask, how could they go through the first initiation, and if they truly are Christians, not know this is wrong and diametrically opposed to God's Word. Are your loyalties with Jesus Christ or are they with the lodge?
One Mason, when asked, "If you were to die tonight, and stand before God, and He were to ask you 'Why should I let you into my Heaven'" said that he guessed he would have to tell God that "I was a good Mason". You see, many Masons believe that Masonry is a system of morality. Masonry teaches that through one's good works Masons can obtain the 'celestial lodge' above, the 'heavenly kingdom'.
Most masons, especially those who are professing Christians, would point us to the fact of all the good works they do. They'd ask, 'How can you say that we are not Christians?' Look at the Shrine homes for the aged, look at the work we do with children, all the good things, don't they count? There's nothing wrong with all of these things, but they are not going to save you. What gives us eternal life is faith in Jesus by His Grace only. Ephesians 2:8-9 says: "For it is by grace [unmerited favor] you are saved, through faith -- and that, not of yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no man can boast." Masons pride themselves in all their works, but St. Paul tells us in Romans 10:1-3 "Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness."
Jesus said on the cross: "It is finished!" There is nothing more that Masons -- or anyone -- can do, to add to what is already done. All one has to do is receive this free gift that Christ purchased for us.
http://www.theforbiddenknowledge.com...ed_fezzies.htm
I have close friends in both organizations. Each does a whole pile of good for their neighbours and communities in general. From my perspective they are religiously based, with one organization comprised of Protestants, while the other Catholics. Each organization has members who have risen to very powerful positions in both government & business. The most successful have been those who have toiled anonymously to make their respective communities better places to live, expecting only personal satisfaction in a job well done.
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