Freemasonry

For a few years I was a Mason. In fact, I was the chaplain of my lodge. I enjoyed meeting the men of the fraternity and was intrigued by the rituals and rites we conducted.

I went on to become a 32nd degree Mason and a Shriner.

However, my eyes were opened when I began to contemplate the fact that I could not pray in Jesus' name.

Eventually, I renounced my involvement with Freemasonry, because I realized it is rooted in the occult, not in Christianity.

Recently we published a book entitled, 33 Degrees of Deception by Tom McKenney. This is a comprehensive work that exposes Freemasonry as an anti-Christian deception. This is a well-written and informative book that I endorse highly.

Here is a quote from Tom's book: "This book is not 'anti-Masonic'; this book is simply the truth--spoken, I pray, in love. I have lived some things and learned some things that most Freemasons don't know--things that they need to know. And I have attempted to set them down in an orderly way as honestly and simply as I can. I am not the enemy of Masons--I am their friend, their advocate, seeking only to tell them the truth about the system that deceives them, uses them, and makes merchandise of their sincere commitment and loyalty. What I oppose is that system--not you.

"Many, many times, at the end of a talk-show interview, I have been asked, 'Tom, what one last thing would you like to say?' My reply is always the same: To the non-Masons, and especially those thinking of becoming Masons, I say, 'Please learn the facts before making the decision to join the Lodge; arm yourself with the truth before you commit.' And to the Mason, if he will listen to just one thing I say, it is this: 'Don't be afraid of the truth'; Jesus promised that if we give it a chance, the truth will set us free.'"

Lt. Col. Tom C. McKenney (USMC, Retired) is a bright and compassionate man. He has written this book to help others see the light. I appreciate all he is doing to bring deliverance to those who are deceived by Freemasonry--a deadly deception, indeed.

Spring Is in the Air

Spring--the season of new birth and renewal--has begun for 2011. In this part of northern Florida the blooms, fragrances, warmth, and foliage of spring start early. We have already welcomed and said good-bye to wisteria, redbuds, azaleas, dogwood, and other flowers, but many different kinds have taken their place, including roses, day lilies, foxglove, and so many other beautiful blossoms.

Soon the commemoration of our Lord's death, burial, and resurrection will be here, and Jews will be celebrating Passover. As we reflect upon this important season of the year, we realize several things about who we are and who Christ is. C.H. Spurgeon wrote, "The love of Christ surpasses all human understanding. Where can language be found that is able to describe His matchless, unparalleled love toward all humanity? It's so vast and boundless that all descriptive words just touch the surface, while immeasurable depths lie beneath. Christ's love is so measureless and fathomless that no human can achieve it. Before we can have any right idea of the love of Jesus, we must understand His previous glory in its height of majesty, and His incarnation upon the Earth in all its depths of shame. But who can tell us the majesty of Christ?. . . Who can tell His height of glory then? And who can tell how low He descended? To be a man was something, to be a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief was far more. To bleed and die and suffer--these were much for Him who was the Son of God. But to suffer such unparalleled agony, and to endure a death of shame and desertion by His Father, this is a depth of condescending love that even the most inspired mind must utterly fail to understand. This is love--and truly it is love that 'surpasses knowledge.'"

Jesus--the King of kings and Lord of lords--became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God through Him. In Him and through Him we are able to rejoice each day. With Christ, life becomes an eternal springtime. Through Him we experience unparalleled joy.

Helen Steiner Rice wrote:

Each spring, God renews His promise.
Long, long ago in a land far away,
There came the dawn of the first Easter Day,
And each year we see that promise reborn
That God gave the world on that Easter morn.
For in each waking flower and each singing bird,
The promise of Easter is witnessed and heard,
And spring is God's way of speaking to men
And renewing the promise of Easter again."

Happy springtime to you and yours. May you be blessed as you contemplate the Passion, Crucifixion, and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ!

The Best Sermon in the World

Thomas Jefferson wrote, "Of all the systems of morality, ancient and modern, which have come under my observation, none appear so pure to me as that of Jesus."

I believe the president was referring to the Sermon on the Mount, which he loved very deeply.

Charles L. Allen wrote, "It takes only fifteen minutes to read the greatest sermon ever preached--and when you have finished it, you will have read a complete summary of all that Jesus taught."

We recently published The Sermon on the Mount, a Pure Gold Classic, by John Wesley. I highly recommend this work in which we find these words: "The more we are filled with the life of God, the more tenderly we become concerned for those who are still without God in the world. We are concerned because we know they are still dead in trespasses and sin. This concern for others will not lose its reward. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."

When we look closely at the Sermon on the Mount, I believe we see the Torah in all its fulfillment and we need both the Torah and the Messiah to lead a holy life.

I like what John Adams wrote to Thomas Jefferson, "The Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount contain my religion."

Hebrew Roots

In his new book, Temple Treasures, Steven Fuson writes, "It is a new day in God. We are anointed to reestablish the divine order of God so that His people today can experience the court, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies in their pure state. Let the confusions of the past fall aside as the pattern burns bright with fiery clarity. Let God reveal His temple treasures in majestic glory and power."

I believe we are living in an age when God wants to reveal so many things to His people. We must remain open to all He has in store for us. This includes understanding our Hebrew roots. Every passage in the Bible can be interpreted literally, spiritually, and prophetically. This, of course, includes the Torah and all of the Old Testament.

There are treasures in the Torah that point us to Jesus Christ--Yeshua Hamaschiach--the Messiah, who lives within us. In fact, He is one of the treasures of the Temple, for we are the temples of the Holy Spirit, and Jesus dwells within us. All power in Heaven and on Earth is found in Him and He lives within us. I believe this means that His power is available to us all the time.

Moses' tabernacle was a shadow and a likeness of heavenly things. It was a pattern of things to come. Let God reveal His mysteries to you, as you delve into the treasures of the Temple and the Torah.

The scarlet thread that holds all the Bible together is the blood of Jesus Christ, which cleanses us from all sin. David Davis writes, "As we enter into the fullness of the mystery of the 'one new man' of Jew and Gentile, those who long to sing Heaven's new song cry out together: 'You have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation'" (Revelation 5:9).

Let's rediscover our Hebrew roots. There is so much to learn from them.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day, which is perhaps one of the nicest holiday of the year because its focus should be on gratitude, family togetherness, and faith. However, all too often the focus of the holiday may be placed on less-important things--food, football, and sometimes even strife and complaining.

We need to remember something about how this national holiday began. Many people trace it back to the Pilgrims' first year in the New World. However, the truth may be that it actually began in St. Augustine, Florida, a few decades earlier. Whatever the case, Thanksgiving is a celebration of the blessings God has bestowed upon us.

H.U. Westermayer wrote, "The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have ever been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving." What were these brave people thankful for? I'm sure at least a part of it was the fact that God had guided them safely to the New World where they could enjoy freedom of religion--a liberty that had been denied to them in England.

We still enjoy that liberty and several others for which we should be deeply grateful, and we should show our gratitude by the way we live. President John F. Kennedy said, "As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." W. J. Cameron writes, "Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action."

I like what William Jennings Bryan said about Thanksgiving Day: "On Thanksgiving Day we acknowledge our dependence."

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Blessings

In Dr. John D. Garr's book, Blessings for Family and Friends, we learn of seven reasons why we should bless our families and friends through prayer:

1. You fulfill the instructions in the Word of God for blessing.
2. You establish and promote a culture and lifestyle of blessing.
3. You maintain a positive, "Good News" mind-set by blessing.
4. You manifest the gifts of the Holy Spirit through blessing.
5. You confirm your dependence on God as your source.
6. You reinforce to yourself and to others that God's Word works.
7. You are always blessed even more when you bless others.

Did you know that the Bible is a book of prayers, and that out of 667 recorded prayers, there are 454 recorded answers?

As we enter this Thanksgiving season, let's remember to bless our homes and families. "God, our maker, doth provide for our wants [needs] to be supplied; come to Go's own temple, come, raise the song of harvest home" (From "Come, Ye Thankful People, Come.")

Take the hands of those you love, look directly into their eyes, and speak the Word of God over them. Give them your personal blessing.

Remember these words: "God is the God of blessing. He always has been, and He always will be. He will never change: he will never compromise His covenant faithfulness that is ever manifest in the blissings He brings to His children. He will never stop blessing His children!" (From Dr. Garr's book, cited above.)

You can be the conduit through which God's blessing flows out to those you love.

Does God Ever Change His Mind?

Isaiah warned King Hezekiah that he would soon die and that he needed to get his affairs in order. He said, "Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live."

Sobering words, to be sure.

E.M. Bounds (in The Classic Collection on Prayer published by Bridge-Logos Foundation, Inc.) writes, "What can set aside or reverse that divine decree of Heaven? Hezekiah had never been in a condition so insurmountable, with a decree so direct and definite from God. Can prayer change the purposes of God? Can prayer snatch from the jaws of death one who has been decreed to die? Can prayer save a man from an incurable sickness? These were the questions that his faith now had to deal with. But his faith does not pause one moment. His faith is not staggered one minute at the sudden and definite news conveyed to him by the Lord's prophet. No such questions that modern unbelief or disbelief would raise are started in his mind. At once he gives himself to prayer. Immediately, without delay, he applies to God who issued the edict. To whom else could he go? Cannot God change His own purposes if He chooses?"

So, Hezekiah prayed, "I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight." Hezekiah then began to cry.

Bounds writes, "Hezekiah had hardly finished his prayer, and Isaiah was just about to go home when God gave him another message for Hezekiah, this time one more pleasant and encouraging. The mighty force of prayer had affected God, and had changed His edict and reversed Him in His purpose concening Hezekiah. What is there that prayer cannot do? What is there that a praying person cannot accomplish through prayer?"

As a result of Hezekiah's prayer, God healed him and gave him an additional fifteen years of life! There is great power in prayer. We know that prayer changes things, but did it change God's mind in this case? Our God knows the end from the beginning, so I doubt that He changed His mind, but He did use this situation as an opportunity to show His people the importance of prayer and faith.

Tennyson wrote, "More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of."

Let us pray, pray, pray, pray. Let us believe, believe, believe, believe. Let us receive, receive, receive, receive.

Our God hears and answers prayer.