242 lines
13 KiB
Plaintext
242 lines
13 KiB
Plaintext
===========[ The Christian BBS - 604-478-2789 - 24 Hrs - 8,N,1 ]===========
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The following file has been put up, though not necessarily done by Dave
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Geauvreau who is the Sysop of "The Christian BBS," and can be contacted for
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more information by phoning the bulletin board at (604)-478-2789, or the
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voice line at (604)-478-0254, or by writing to 3053 Metchosin Rd.,
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Victoria, B.C., Canada - V9B 4Y9! All donations if by check are to be to
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"The Christian BBS," and please note that finances do not allow me to
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accept long distance charges and return mail must be pre-postaged paid.
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===========================================================================
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A PASTOR AND FREEMASONRY
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WHAT'S A PASTOR TO DO?
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Harmon R. Taylor
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International Director H R T Ministries, Box 12, Newtonville NY 12128
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I write this article as a pastor and as a former Mason. I served as head
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of Welcome Lodge in Amsterdam, New York in 1980, and as Grand Chaplain of
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the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of New York from
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1983. Then a Christian brother's witness caused me to flee and to study
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the roots of Freemasonry. The more I have studied since November 25, 1984
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when I renounced Freemasonry, the more embarrassed I have become that I was
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ever a member, much less spiritual supervisor of 150,00 Masons in New York
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State.
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Pastors need to consider the relationship of their church, their ministry
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and their flock relative to Freemasonry. Masons are in the pulpits, in
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other positions of leadership in the church and in the pews. In every case
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they are either grossly deceived as I was for eleven years, or they are not
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truly Christians.
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Charles G. Finney, the greatest of the 19th Century evangelists, left
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Freemasonry when he acknowledged Christ as Savior and Lord of his life. He
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wrote a book on the subject of Freemasonry. It has been reissued by Crown
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Publication, Burlington, Ontario, Canada under the title, The Antichrist of
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the Masonic Society. On page 139 he states correctly: "God hold the church
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and every branch of it, responsible for its opinions and actions in
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accordance with the best light, which, in His providence, is afforded them.
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"While Masonry was a secret, the church had no light, and no responsibility
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respecting it ... Hence God did not require the church to bear any
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testimony on the subject as long as Masonry was secret. "Freemasonry is
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now revealed. It is no longer a secret from any who wish to be informed.
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"Since these revelations (the rituals) have been made, and both the church
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and the world can know what Masonry really is, God demands, and the world
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has a right to expect, that the church will take due action and bear a
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truthful testimony in respect to this institution. She cannot now
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innocently hold her peace. The light has come. Fidelity to God, and to
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the souls of men, require that the church, which is the light of the world,
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should speak out, and should take such actions as will plainly reveal her
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views of the compatibility or incompatibility of Freemasonry with the
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Christian religion.
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"...How can we fail to pronounce Freemasonry an anti-Christian institution?
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... Its morality is unchristian, ... its oath-bound secrecy is unchristian,
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... taking of its oaths are unchristian, ... Masonic oaths pledge its
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members to commit most unlawful and unchristian acts, deliver each other
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from difficulty whether right or wrong, favor Masonry in political action
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and business transactions, sworn to retaliated, to persecute unto death the
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violators of Masonic obligations, ...its oaths are profane, the taking of
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the name of God in vain, ...the penalties of these oaths are barbarous and
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even savage, ...its teachings are false and profane, ...its design is
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partial and selfish, ...it is an enormous falsehood.
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"Every local branch of the Church of Christ is bound to examine this
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subject, and pronounce upon this institution, according to the best light
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they can get. God does not allow individuals, or churches, (or pastors),
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to withhold action, and the expression of the opinion, until other churches
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are as enlightened as themselves.
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"If churches who are known to have examined the subject withhold their
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testimony; if they continue to receive persistent and intelligent
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Freemasons; if they leave the public to infer that they see nothing in
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Freemasonry inconsistent with a creditable profession of the Christian
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religion, it will be justly inferred by other branches of the church, and
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by the world, that there is nothing in it so bad, so dangerous and
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unchristian as to call for their examination, action, and testimony.
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"It is almost universally conceded that persistent Freemasons, who
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continued to adhere and cooperate with them, ought not to be admitted to
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Christian churches."
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WHAT CAN PASTOR DO?
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What shall we as pastors say to our flocks that contain perhaps a great
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number of professed Christians who are Freemasons? Again we look to
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Brother Finney:
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"Let them (Freemasons) have no more to do with it. Let Christian men labor
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with them, plead with them, and endeavor to make them see that their duty
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is to abandon it."
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To these words of Brother Finney I can lend an "AMEN!" What can pastors
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do? They can receive this article into their hands, perhaps from one of
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their lambs, and prayerfully consider it. They can study at their library.
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Albert Pike, Albert Mackey, 33rd degree, Henry Wilson Coil, 33rd degree,
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and Arthur Edward Waite are all recognized authorities by State Grand
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Lodges. They may contact me or this ministry for further information.
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They can read an excellent sermon, "Freemasonry and Christianity" by Dr.
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Alva J. McClain, founder and first president of of Grace Theological
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Seminary.
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You will find and excellent resource in a six-part series on Freemasonry
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which aired across the country in April and May of 1986. The series is
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entitled, "THE MASONIC LODGE; Behind closed doors." It is available
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through The John Ankerberg Show, Box 8977, Chattanooga, TN 37411 in audio
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or VHS cassettes as well as in written transcript form.
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THE ONE THING THAT PASTORS CAN'T DO, IS NOTHING!
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A pastor is accountable to God Almighty for Christ's sheep in their flock.
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I would never become involved in Freemasonry if a pastor had preached even
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the poorest of sermons against Freemasonry in my youth. If he even
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whispered in my ear! I spent eleven years in Masonry. I defended it to my
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family, my church, my colleagues. God forgive me!
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Thank God my teen-agers didn't swallow my line. One went and educated
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himself and both of them prayed, one for four years, and one for two years,
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that I might be set free from the abomination of the cult of Freemasonry.
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The day came when a Christian brother and former Mason, had the courage to
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risk our friendship. He opened up his Masonic bible and shared the Light
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as he there had found it in Jesus, the Light of the World. That Light
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showed the light of Freemasonry to be darkness and deception. Each verse
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he shared brought out Masonic debris like "Salvation by Works" from the
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closets of my life. With the living room of my life now cluttered with the
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false doctrines of Freemasonry, I renounced it that very day! I will never
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forget the joy in the voices of my children as I told them over the phone!
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I will never forget the tears on my mother's cheeks as she exclaimed,
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"Another prayer answered! One more to go before I die!" Yes, and the
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joyous embrace of my obedient wife!
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WE MUST RENOUNCE IT
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In the year after I renounced Freemasonry, I personally sat with each Mason
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in my congregation and shared my testimony. Most defended the Fraternity.
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Some even began a campaign against their pastor. So be it! "Greater is He
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that is in me than he that is in the world!" Some left their positions of
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authority in the church without ever being asked. On October 13, 1985 I
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delivered a sermon entitled, "Mixing Oil With Water -- Christianity &
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Freemasonry." That light exposed the darkness of Masonry and unrenouncing
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Masons still in positions of authority fled in shame. In their place God
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sent new people literally from across this country to take up the slack.
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Finances that were threatened by these Masonic families, instead, increased
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by 40%! The pledging units increased by 25%! Pastor, stand for God and He
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will bless!
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I thank God for Bible-believing pastors. If you are one, know that in love
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I say to you, "Pastor, you preach the Word with me! Yes, there will be
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opposition. In the world you will have tribulation, said Jesus, but be of
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good cheer because I have overcome the world."
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Preach boldly as we are instructed in Acts 18:9, Col. 1:28, 2 Tim. 4:2-5,
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Heb. 2:11. Know that there will be rewards for any persecution that you
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may face as recorded in James 1:3, 12.
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Pastor, did you know that Freemasonry will not permit the Name of Jesus to
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be used in any regular and well governed Lodge? Did you know that when
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they use a passage such as 1 Pet. 2:5 or 2 Thes. 3:6, they delete the
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phrase that includes the name of our blessed and only Saviour, Jesus
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Christ? That is not just an oversight, as reference to it states (*slight,
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but necessary modifications have been made). Would you call deleting Jesus
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Christ a "slight" or "necessary" modification? No! No Christian should!
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1 John 2:22-23 says "Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the
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Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever
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denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son
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has the Father also." Read also 1 John 4:2 in relation to this same
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thought.
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Pastor, Hosea 4:6 declares, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
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Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being
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priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will
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forget your children."
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LET NONE PERISH
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As fellow pastors, we must agree that we do not want to see anyone perish.
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Certainly, not the lambs in our own flock! Labor with me. As I share with
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you, 433 men have renounced Masonry and are living more productive
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Christian lives. They discovered that the "friendships" of the Lodge were
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based on a Masonic bond and not upon genuine friendship. In every
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instance they found Christians coming forward who had held back from
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fellowship with them, not knowing how to confront their Christian brother
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in his error. Without exception, they have confessed that their present
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friends are more genuine and more fulfilling to their lives than what they
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thought they had in the fraternity.
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If you have Masons in the membership of Christ's church, you, as pastor,
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need to become educated and confront them in love. I was delivered from my
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love of Freemasonry and left with an abiding love for Masons. I pray daily
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for their release from the cult of Freemasonry. With prayer, preparation,
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and sharing, they will come out of either Freemasonry or the Church.
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DWIGHT L. MOODY SPEAKS OUT
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Dwight L. Moody said, "I do not see how any Christian, most of all a
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Christian minister, can go into these secret lodges with unbelievers. They
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say they can have more influence for good: but I say they can have more
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influence for good by staying out of them, and reproving their evil deeds.
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Abraham had more influence for good in Sodom than Lot had."
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For this, D. L. Moody was challenged, "If you talk this way, you will drive
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all the members of secret societies out of your meetings and out of our
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churches."
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To this the bold pastor proclaimed, "But what if I did? Better men will
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take their places. Give them the truth anyway, and if they would rather
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leave their churches than their lodges, the sooner they get out of the
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churches, the better. I would rather have ten members who are separated
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from the world than a thousand such members. Better one with God than a
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thousand without Him."
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WHAT'S A PASTOR TO DO REGARDING FREEMASONRY?
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- Pray for guidance and direction.
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- Study Freemasonry together with your Bible.
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- Write down your thoughts.
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- Share them with Masons when you're sure enough not to be deceived
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by their uninformed or misinformed tales.
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- Proclaim from your pulpit the dangers of the double walk of a
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Christian in Freemasonry. Let your flock know again that they
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cannot serve two masters, nor can they have any other God before
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them. (Masonry permits any and every god at the altar.)
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If you are a pastor, thank you for listening and may God bless you as you
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serve Him and your flock for the glory of God. If you are a layman, your
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pastor needs your support and your help. Pray for your Pastor; then share
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this article. Continue to pray with expectation for your pastor and be
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ready to assist your pastor in proclaiming the Truth and setting free the
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oppressed.
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Free The Masons
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P.O. Box 1077
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Issaquah, Wa. 98027
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