D. L. Moody, The Labors of a Single Mom


(The Legacy)

Written by by Denny Kenaston

“And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth....” II Timothy 2:24-25



The words of this text beautifully describe the ministry of D. L. Moody. Moody was an evangelist gifted by God to win souls for the kingdom. Although the title “the servant of the Lord” is used quite loosely in these days, we can say that Moody served his Lord, the living God of heaven. His meek and gentle disposition allowed him to persuade tens of thousands of souls who “opposed themselves.” D. L. Moody, chosen by God to ride the waves of the Revival of 1859-60, was a vessel prepared for the Master’s use. They say he won a million souls through his evangelistic pleadings in meetings all around the world. He established three training institutions for ministers and other Christian workers. A church stands to this day with his name on it in Chicago. Thousands of books bear the name Moody Press, another reminder to us of his influence. The name Moody is a household name among most Christian’s in the English-speaking world. Why? The answer is filled with challenge and insight for all of us who desire to be servants of the King.



R. A. Torrey answered this question at a memorial service in 1923, twenty-three years after Moody’s death. The title of his sermon was “Why God used D. L. Moody.” He pinpointed seven remarkable reasons as the body of his sermon. Few men knew Moody as intimately as Torrey did. This is what he said.



Why God Used D. L. Moody



•He was a fully surrendered man. It was Moody who heard those now famous words spoken by another preacher, “The world has yet to see what God can do with one man who is totally surrendered to God.” It was Moody who said, “By God’s grace, I will be that man.”

•He was a deep and meaningful man of prayer. God gave ear to this man’s prayers in remarkable ways. In Scotland Moody prayed a prayer in utter brokenness that God would use him to bring revival to Scotland. God answered his prayer on the spot. God swept into the meeting, and all fell on their faces in repentance.

•He was a deep and practical student of the Word of God. This humble, uneducated man spent hours in the word everyday, and faith stirred in his believing heart continually.

•He was a humble man. God prepared the way for this humility by ordering the circumstances of his up bringing down lowly paths.

•He had a consuming passion for the salvation of the lost. Moody preached to souls wherever he went. His life as an evangelist was more than preaching to crowds. One by one he sought them on trains, in boats and walking down the street.

•He was entirely free from the love of money. Most people do not realize how much money goes through the hands of a man who preaches to thousands of people. This money did not affect D. L. Moody. He gave it away, and used it to further the kingdom, as I mentioned above.

•He had a definite enduement of power from on high. There was a time and a place when D. L. Moody was filled with the Holy Ghost. This is the secret of his strength. This is the reason for all the other points that I have listed.



These powerful reasons are helpful to us all as we consider our own lives and ministries.



God began to prepare him long before he had a public ministry. God works in so many different ways to prepare His servants for the work He calls them to do. His ways are past finding out, and who can understand them all? God’s mysterious plan for this servant had some very hard circumstances in it. These circumstances only make sense as you look back over the years and realize that God was preparing a servant.



Puritan Heritage



Seven Moody generations preceded the birth of Dwight Lyman “D.L.” Moody. John Moody landed in the area we call Connecticut in 1633. Motivated by the typical desires of the Puritans in those days, he set out to establish a home and to serve his God in freedom. I am sure there were some ups and downs in the generations that followed John Moody’s beginnings; however, we still see godliness in the Moody family two hundred years later. This is hard for us modern Americans to imagine, but it is because we have a low vision.



The generations on his mother’s side of the family read very much the same way. Betsy Holton’s family moved to America in 1630 and settled in the Northfield Massachusetts area. There they lived for two hundred years, serving God in the traditions of the Puritans. The family farm did not change hands for two hundred years according to the biography that I am reading. These two families were pioneers with all the character that develops through a hard working farm life. In addition, they were Puritans with all the convictions and visions of the early settlers of the new land. Mr. Moody looked back on these ancestors with gratitude as he saw traits in his own life that flowed from them.



Betsy Holton and Edwin Moody were married in 1828 in the living room of the old Holton family homestead. They enjoyed a happy, loving marriage, and God gave nine children to their union. Edwin Moody provided for the family in the same way that all the men in the Moody family did for generations: They were masons. They built stone houses, brick houses and fireplaces all over the valley where they lived. This happy life continued for about thirteen years, until providence changed the Moody home and destiny forever.



The School of Poverty



When Dwight was four years old, his father died very suddenly. The family had plenty up until this time, but everything changed overnight. This providential change in events left Mrs. Moody a poor widow with seven children and twins on the way. The family debt was large with no provision for unexpected death. Only the house survived the creditors. At first glance this looks like a tragedy hard to understand, but providence is often that way. I can only imagine the hard-working business minded man that Dwight might have been. He had all the abilities to become a prominent man in his community with plenty of material things to enjoy. God had other plans for him, his family and his struggling mother. One million souls were at stake, and no hardship was too great for the sake of them. Mrs. Moody lived to see providence unveiled before her eyes as thousands flocked to hear her son preach the life-changing gospel of Christ. I am continually amazed at how many of God’s servants are trained in poverty. God even sent His only begotten Son into the setting of poverty for training and preparation. We can learn from some wisdom here. The blessings wrought by poverty were many in Moody’s life. I want to name a few of the more evident ones for our learning.



From day one they were dependent upon God for everything. When the creditors took even the firewood away, the Moody’s only had one option: pray and trust God who knows the needs of the fatherless and widow. The children stayed in bed to keep warm until it was time to leave for school, and Mama prayed. Uncle Cyrus Holton arrived with a load of wood to warm the house and the hearts of the whole family. We only need to use our imagination to see how many times God provided for them in ways like this. The oldest son was only twelve when Father passed away. Most of us Americans know very little about trusting God for our daily needs, and our children will pay for this—you can be sure.



They did without most of the time during the early years after Father died. They had to say “no” to their flesh dozens of times in a week, and this was very good training for a fruitful Christian life. Clothes were worn and mended repeatedly. Shoes were a luxury, and the simple things in life delighted the children who vbouls over to the Master. Somehow we must find some ways to teach our children to do without, even if we have to create them.



The food was simple and very basic. Of necessity they ate the same thing many times in a month. This would go down hard with our spicy American taste buds, which demand dozens of different kinds of food to be satisfied. When Dwight came to his mother and complained about the food he received while boarding at a neighbor’s house, she sent him back to keep his agreement. The complaint was worthy—nineteen consecutive meals of cornmeal and milk. Maybe we should simplify the palates of our children and teach them to be content with plain foods.



He had to bear the yoke of manhood early in life. The boys had to go to work much earlier than most of their peers. The needs demanded that they leave home at age ten and work for local farmers all week. They returned home for the weekend and for church. I know that most of us would look with pity upon a boy burdened with such responsibilities at such a young age, but look what it produced. We are influenced by our soft society more than we realize. As I see it, we do our children a great favor if we order their lives with self-denying responsibilities.



Are you a wealthy family? Do you have a storehouse that is full with most anything at your fingertips? Most Americans are rich, but we don’t know we are. This is a very dangerous position to be in because of the many snares involved in riches. If you are rich, I encourage you to live way below your available income and give the rest away. Your children will bless you for such a decision when they get older. It is possible to be a millionaire and have no one know it.



A Godly Determined Mother



Dear Betsy Moody is one precious example of perseverance to every mother reading this article. She is an example to every single mom who longs to raise children for God without a father. “Trust in God” was her simple creed. This is also the Bible’s simple, underlying message. She could not give her children a theological education like some we have studied, but she had the reality of that theology. This is far more important. I do not know what kind of religious life the Moody home had before her husband’s death. The historical records are strangely silent about those first thirteen years. It is very possible that the tragedy of her loss and the desolation of her situation brought her to this blessed reality. She lived to see the full scope of her son’s ministry as she died only three years before he did at ninety-one. Imagine how she felt as she reflected in her old rocking chair, looking back on the hard times. She remembered the times when she was almost ready to quit and God sustained her to keep going. Now it all makes so much sense, but then it was often dark and cloudy. She followed the patterns and convictions of her Puritan ancestors when it came to raising the children. Let’s look at some of the practical methods that she used to mold a “servant of the Lord.”



Family Devotions



Mrs. Moody followed the example of her Puritan ancestors and gathered the family together each morning to read and to pray. The Moody home had only three books, but they were the most important ones to have. They were a large family Bible, a catechism and a devotional book of inspiration and prayers. With these the children received instruction in holy things. On Sunday evenings it was a family tradition to gather in front of the fireplace as mother read books from the church library. They made it, though things were far from ideal, and Dwight was weak on Bible knowledge when he left home. God was training a humble, lowly minded servant who stood in amazement when the crowds came out to hear him. He was training a servant who would not touch the glory.



Solid Church Life



Shortly after Mr. Moody passed away, Betsy enrolled the children in the Sunday school of the local church. This proved to be a great blessing to the family in more ways than can be named. The widow and the fatherless are to be under the care of the church, and Pastor Everett was quick to bring the family under his care. For a single-mom family, this is necessary. Godly men as role models provide needed examples when there is no father. Missing church was not an option for young Dwight even though his youthful heart would have longed for play after much work through the week. The family brought lunch along and stayed all day, attending two preaching services and the Sunday school. Moody looked back on the influences that he received during those “Sabbath day” assemblies with fond memories. It was here in the local Sunday school that Moody got his first taste of gathering others for Bible teaching. He often brought other children along for the classes. I am sure that Pastor Everett had no idea whom he was training when he encouraged young Dwight to go find some others to bring with him. Moody was not actually converted until after he left home, but it is evident that this pastor had much to do with the transformation of D. L. Moody.



Strict Discipline





Mrs. Moody believed in the old fashioned way of training children. A kind, loving heart to guide, and the rod to use when guidance did not bring the proper response were her methods. I was blessed to find that she was slow and careful in her discipline, taking the time to instruct while she spanked. Moody recalled the time he told her it didn’t hurt and commented, “That was the last time that it didn’t hurt.” Betsy kept the children away from evil influences, and the children did not go play away from home. She always invited the neighbor children to the Moody house for fun and frolic, to keep them from the evil.



Although Moody always reflected affectionately upon the discipline his mother gave him, he never spanked his own children. I think we can glean something here for our own homes. Moody had two very different types of schoolteachers that made an impression on him. The one was stern and demanding, giving many spankings; the other was kind and loving and gave none. Moody must have evaluated the two and decided love and grace works better than law and judgment. This choice affected the next generation of Moody children. How sad. Balance is the lesson we can learn for our homes. The Bible way is a balance of both. Our hearts should overflow with love while we guide our children into obedience and at times spank them. If we are out of balance, our children may react to that imbalance and go too far the other way.



Practical Righteousness





This is the realm where Mrs. Moody’s simple faith excelled. Down to earth, everyday righteous living was her greatest strength. This is the area we lack most in today. We stand in great need of the common wisdom of right living. We American Christian’s are full and running over with theology, and running empty with practical living. Lord, help us learn from this poor widow woman. What did she teach them during the twenty years that each one lived under her roof?





•She taught them by example and precept to give when you do not have enough for yourself. This happened many times at the Moody home. When a tramp came by or another need came to her ear in the community, she gave to the needy. Imagine the impact that this had on the children. They knew there was very little bread in the house. Then God, who is the Father of the fatherless, topped off the lesson by providing bread enough for all to eat. Let us trust the Lord and give before the eyes of our little ones. They are taking notes as the days of home life pass by.

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•She taught them to seek first the kingdom of God in the midst of much want. These verses are easy to believe in a land of plenty, but what about the destitute? The children learned first hand that God was their Father and that He cared for His own.

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•She taught them by precept and example that there would be no complaining in the Moody household. Consider the depth of this lesson and the impact it had on the children. They lived in poverty. There were many things to complain about. The wolf was continually at the door, and yet no complaining was allowed in the house. She knew that complaining leads to bitterness, and bitterness leads to more poverty with evil deeds standing beside it. “In everything give thanks,” was the rule of the house.

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•She taught them the dangers of judging their neighbor. This task had some real challenges for them because they often received wrong at the hand of uncaring neighbors. The widow and the fatherless are the responsibility of the Christian community, but they are often the most neglected and despised. This happened many times during the first years of desolation. Mother guided the children through these learning experiences with righteous zeal. The children heard the words, “We will not judge our neighbor” many times when neglect was very evident.

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•She taught them to be independent, to make it on their own. There was no welfare spirit in the home. The neighbors did not owe them anything because God was in control. You may react at first to the word independence. In the midst of poverty, it is one of the highest qualities of character. She taught the family to rise up in faith with works and meet the needs with determination. This was Moody’s strongest point of character all his days in the ministry. A wise God and a wise mother worked together to instill this in him.

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•She taught them the sanctity of a promise. “Let your yea be yea, and your nay be nay.” This instilled a carefulness of words in all the children. When Dwight found himself in the midst of hundreds of requests, he was slow to say “yes” because of mother’s training about promises. Many times she made the boys go back and keep the promise given in a moment of weakness. We could use a good dose of this kind of carefulness and commitment in our day.

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•She taught them about the day of rest. They called it the Sabbath in those days and practiced it very much as the Jews do. The day of rest began on Saturday evening and ended on Sunday evening. Everything changed on the Lord’s Day. Life slowed way down, and the hearts of the children turned toward spiritual things all day. This is very different from our modern day Sunday when everyone is playing, buying, selling and catching up on the work around the house. Have we lost something? I think we have.

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•She provided a warm, affectionate home life for them. Fifty years later Moody was still reflecting with joy upon the home fires that burned in Mother’s home. It drew him like a magnet repeatedly. Though they lived in poverty, she filled their humble dwelling with the thing that means the most but costs the least—love. This tender mother gave herself in love to her children. They knew this, and it drew their respect and even adoration.



Conclusion



Don’t you just love this dear saint? I do. My heart’s respect rises up to bless her as I bring this article to a close. She is an example to every single mother who longs for godliness in her children. She passed on to her reward at the ripe old age of ninety-one. The words of her grandson seem fitting here at the end. He described her funeral service with words that crown her legacy. He said, “Her children and her children’s children and an entire community rose up to call her blessed.” As for me, I am one more voice that joyfully rises up to call her a blessed woman and a dear mother in Israel.



Taken from "The Heartbeat of the Remnant"
http://www.trousseauchest.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=229:d-l-moody-the-labors-of-a-single-mom&catid=32:devout-women-in-history&Itemid=48

Faith of our Fathers by Marietjie Chase

So often we are amazed at the testimonies of those who were ill for years and then healed or of those who lived decadent lives and then saved. We are in awe at the escapes from death and the ones who survive horrible ordeals... but today I was thinking of another kind of hero. The kind who fought the good fight of faith every time sickness or decease came knocking at their door. The ones who raised their kids and paid the bills and cannot tell you how because on paper the figures says that it is impossible. The hero's when presented with the temptation to loose their lives in sin and darkness, said "no" and by God's grace stayed the course. These are the living stones who have gone before us, building a habitation for God.


If we want to know about these we have to dig a bit. These are not easy testimonies, short, one page stories. These are the ones where you read an entire Biography and get the feeling that it is still only part of the story. These are the hero's we will only honor in front of the Throne when all will be uncovered and even then we will not know of their sin - that was covered by the Blood of Jesus.

Thinking about all those whose prayer and faith paved the way for us as we stand before God, so many scriptures come to mind. Paul, talking to Timothy about the faith that was in His mother and grandmother and also in him; Hebrews 11 that says that all those hero's of faith are part of us and we are their victory. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob keeps covenant to the fourth and fifth, and yeah even thousands of generations, of those who fear Him and keep His commandments. What spiritual heritage have been handed down in your generations? Memories of Mamma praying for a pair of black shoes, of Pappa praying over me when my head was delirious with fever, of Ouma Maggie sitting on her bed, awake from pain, yet praying for each of her six children and their many children, all by name. Memories of Ouma Maria sitting at her window, drinking coffee from the saucer relaying a dream or vision or insight she had. Memories of Oupa Gert's Bible with his sermon notes in it. Memories of the twinkle in Father's eyes when he told of the souls being saved at their church and of Mother praying still. What spiritual parents can we honor? What heritage we have received? When in our stupid immaturity we are embraced by Mothers who adopted us and Fathers who accepted us. We are what we have received. And when I look at scripture: He used Angels as messengers only to sent people to "birth" people. How foolish we are sometimes to think we are our own? We are the sum of many lives and much faith.

Everyone of us, whether we admit it or not, are in the Kingdom of God because someone somewhere took a hold of God's promises and in faith and prayer fought a battle on our behalf. We are not of our own making. God have worked in many lives over many years to bring His purposes in our lives to fulfillment. Maybe we can pause and thank Him for those who have kept the faith, paved the way and shined the light for us. Maybe we can remember the parents or grandparents who were married, not always happily, for 30, 40, 50 and 60 years. Maybe we can remember the faith of the ones who taught us to pray. Maybe we can remember the ones who instilled the love for God and His word in us. Maybe we can look away from ourselves and realize, we are not our own, we belong to a whole. We are part of something greater, bigger and more enduring than our fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty or ninety years.

We owe it to these, we owe it to those for whom we are clearing the brush for; to fight a good fight of Faith; to finish well.

Steve Green used to sing:

We're pilgrims on the journey
Of the narrow road
And those who've gone before us line the way
Cheering on the faithful, encouraging the weary
Their lives a stirring testament to God's sustaining grace


Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses
Let us run the race not only for the prize
But as those who've gone before us
Let us leave to those behind us
The heritage of faithfulness
Passed on through godly lives


Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave
Lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful


After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone
And our children sift through all we've left behind
May the clues that they discover
And the memories they uncover
Become the light that leads them
To the road we each must find

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful

"Find Us Faithful" Words and Music by Jon Mohr

There Are Only Two Kinds of People...  Marietjie Chase


Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered, And let those who hate Him flee before Him.

As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; As wax melts before the fire, So let the wicked perish before God.

But let the righteous be glad; let them exult before God; Yes, let them rejoice with gladness. Ps 68:1-3

God has always made a distinction between the righteous and the evil. He does not change. The way He deals with people has not changed. What has changed is that Jesus took all the wrath of God for those who trust in Him. Jesus became the lightning rod for God's wrath. He is an offering for sin, once and for all. He is the sacrifice for sin for all who believes in Him. He satisfied God's desire for punishment for sin once and for all, for those who believe in Him.

But for those who rejects Jesus as God's ultimate peace offering, there is no other sin sacrifice. For those who believe, there is an eternal inheritance and life in its fullness; but for those who do NOT believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, as the only way to relationship with God as Father and Lord, there remains the wrath of God. Those who choose to reject God's plan of salvation, of peace, of reconciliation, stands naked and unprotected in the full glare of the wrath of God. These are called the sons/daughters of disobedience who rebel against the love and will of God, to establish their own right standing, shouting as they go, that God is unfair, unrighteous and bad because He will not bow to their scheme of what is right, good and just.

There is still, and always will be two groups of people before God: The good and the evil/sinful.

Those who enter into a relationship, a life-exchange, with Jesus Christ; become the good and that not of themselves or their own deeds but because of what He has done.

Heb10:26-31; Romans 1:18-2:8; John 3:36; Malachi 3:18

All other distinctions disappear and are unimportant in the light of eternity. There is no race, no age or gender distinction before God. There is no separate plan of salvation for a race, gender, or age group. There is only ONE plan of salvation, only ONE Savior Jesus Christ who is the door, the gate, the mediator between God and all humans, past, present and future.

What this means practically is that we can only view people as saved and unsaved.

When we relate to an unsaved person we are relating to someone who has yet to come alive into the LIFE of Jesus Christ. We are to pray for them, be kind to them and be Jesus Christ with some skin on for them. We may be the only link they have to bring them to Jesus Christ. We also have to accept and expect to be misunderstood by them. Can the living have intimate relationship with the dead?? Can the natural mind comprehend the spiritual?? What fellowship have light with darkness?? These two will never agree.

Unsaved people are NOT our enemies. They can only become our enemies when they set themselves up as enemies of God. When they openly reject and oppose and malign God and His Christ, they become our enemies and the Bible are very clear about how we ought to behave toward our enemies and the enemies of God.

Psalms 66:3, Psalms 68:1 & 21, Nahum 1:2, Romans 5:10, James 4:4, Philipians 3:18.

2 Thesselonians 3:14-15, Matthew 5:43-45, Luke 6:27 and 35, Romans 12:20, Colosians 1:21,

When we relate to saved people, we are required by God to love one another. Does that mean that we are always going to get along?? Not necessarily. But we can never be one another's enemy's. We are part of one another. We may disagree in a million ways, we may frustrate and irritate one another, but we can never hate one another. We cannot be enemies. Whether we like it or not, we are all part of one body, the Body of Jesus Christ. We have one Father, One Savior, One King and are all going to the same Heaven. We may as well get over it and learn to bear with one another.

Matthew 18, John 13, Romans 12,Ephesians 4, Galatians 5, Colosians 3, 1 Thesselonians 5, Hebrews 10, James 5, I Peter 4, I John 4

Four Largest Cults and what they Believe. Compiled from Internet Research
-Muslims, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons(LDS), Free Masons-

What Muslims Believe

Shia Muslims believe that the Imam is sinless by nature, and that his authority is infallible as it comes directly from Allah. Therefore, Shia Muslims often venerate the Imams as saints and perform pilgrimages to their tombs and shrines in the hopes of divine intercession.

No Incarnation.

The path to heaven includes confessing faith in one god, Allah, and that Muhammad is His Messenger; recitation of five prayers daily; giving alms; fasting throughout Ramadan, pilgrimage to Mecca. Confessing and repenting one's sins is between the person and Allah, made only to Allah and for Allah. Strict obedience to Allah's laws (conveyed in the Qur'an) and His prophet's doctrine is required. Suffering is desired by Allah to erase one's sins.

The basic beliefs of Muslims fall into six main categories, which are known as the "Articles of Faith":

Faith in the unity of god/Allah - There is no Trinity There exists only one personal god Almighty--Creator, all-powerful, ever-present, and all-knowing--formless, incorporeal spirit.
Faith in angels
Faith in prophets
Faith in books of revelation - the Qur'an
Faith in an afterlife After Death Saved souls will experience the bliss of heaven and unsaved souls the torture of hell. On Judgment Day, Allah will resurrect the dead, unite body and soul, and judge all for eternity in heaven or hell. There are seven layers of heaven.
Faith in destiny/divine decree

This is a brief guide on what Muslims are taught about Jesus in the religion of Islam.

Muslims follow the teachings of all the Prophets, from Adam to Muhammad. Muhammad was the last Prophet sent to mankind, and Muslims follow the book he was given by God, the Holy Qur'an.


Muslims respect and admire Jesus. Islam teaches that he was one of God's greatest messengers to mankind. The Qur'an describes the miracle of his virgin birth, and a chapter of the Qur'an is entitled "Maryam" (Mary) Here is the Qur'anic description of Jesus' birth:


"Remember when the Angels said "Oh Mary, God gives you glad tidings of a word from him (God) of the Messiah Jesus son of Mary, revered in this world and the hereafter, and one of those brought near to God. He will speak from the cradle as an infant and as a man will be of the righteous." She said "My Lord, how can I have a child when no mortal man has touched me?" He said, "So it will be. God creates what He wills, if He decrees a thing, He says to it only, 'Be!' and it is." (Qur'an 3:45-47)


Jesus was created miraculously by God who had also created Adam without Mother OR Father. God said, 'The case of Jesus was like the case of Adam. He (God) created Adam from dust, then said to him, 'BE!' and he came into being.' (Qur'an 3:59)


During his prophethood Jesus also performed many miracles. God tells us that Jesus said:


" I have come to you with a sign from your Lord. I make for you the shape of a bird out of clay, I breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by God's permission. I heal the blind from birth and the leper. I also bring the dead to life with God's permission, and I tell you what you eat and what you store inside your houses." (Qur'an 3:49)


Muslims do not believe that Jesus was crucified, but that Jesus' enemies planned to crucify him and that God raised him up to him, and the likeness of Jesus was put on another man (and they killed that man.)….(Qur'an 4:157)


…They said "We killed Jesus the Messiah, son of Mary, the Messenger of God." They did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, but the likeness of him was put on another man (and they killed that man.) …(Qur'an 4:157)


Neither Muhammad nor Jesus came to change the concept or doctrines of the belief in one God, but they came to confirm and renew it.


The Muslim belief of Jesus is between two extremes. The Jews, who rejected Jesus as a Prophet, said he was not the Son of God. The Christians, on the other hand, consider Jesus to be God's son, and worship him as according to that belief. Islam considers Jesus to be a righteous Prophet, but do not worship him. Rather they respect him as they do all Prophets, such as Abraham, Moses, Joseph, etc.


Jesus was a righteous man with a divine message, sent to all mankind. Any contradiction to this among revealed religions is seen in Islam as a man-made element introduced into these religions.



What Jehovah's Witnesses Believe

The human soul is NOT immortal.

There is no such thing as hell. Witnesses also have a slightly different view of heaven than mainstream Christianity. Based on their reading of prophetic books like Daniel and Revelation, Jehovah's Witnesses believe that only 144,000 people will go to heaven to rule with God and Jesus. The remainder of the righteous will enjoy paradise on earth - a restored Garden of Eden in which there is no sickness, old age, death or unhappiness

A belief that is unique to Jehovah's Witnesses is that the eschatological events predicted in Revelation began in 1914. This is when God gave Jesus his Kingdom, and Jesus has been ruling from heaven ever since. At this time Jesus threw Satan and his demons out of heaven and down to earth, which is why, according to Witnesses, the world has been getting progressively worse since 1914 The kingdom of God (last days) came to earth in 1914 with the start of the Great war.

The four horse man of Revelations 4 were sumiltaniously released in 1914, replacing the white Horse with a horse named "Hades"..

Babylon already fell in 1919.

Jehovah's Witnesses disagree with the mainstream Christian belief that Jesus was "fully God, fully man." Witnesses teach that Jesus was not God, but rather God's first creation. Jesus existed in pre-human form as God's agent of creation and God's chief spokesman (the Word), and took on human form as the man Jesus by means of a virgin birth.

The Watchtower Organization teaches that it is God's sole earthly representative

Jehovah’s Witnesses are controlled by a "Governing Body" which they claim is the "faithful and discreet slave" spoken of at Mathew 24:45. This group consists of 10 to 15 mature men that, Jehovah’s Witnesses are told, have direct guidance from God. The Governing Body in turn instructs followers with this guidance through the pages of the Watchtower and other publications. Jehovah’s Witnesses are told by this "Governing Body" that Scripture alone is insufficient to understand the things of God. One needs the Watchtower Society and the literature it publishes to properly understand the Bible. ("Jehovah God has also provided his visible organization, his "faithful and discreet slave," made up of spirit-anointed ones... Unless we are in touch with this channel of communication that God is using, we will not progress along the road to life, no matter how much Bible reading we do. Watchtower, December 1, 1981 p.27) They are the instruments God is using to teach the world the deeper things of the scriptures. People are not to think for themselves but instead submit to the Watchtower Society teachings. (" But a spirit of independent thinking does not prevail in God’s organization, and we have sound reasons for confidence in the men taking the lead among us. Watchtower September 15,1989 p. 23) Jehovah's Witnesses believe they are the only people on earth that are serving God and the only ones that will be saved. They dare not question the teachings of the Watchtower Society; one who questions the Watchtower Society is considered to be weak in faith and could be disfellowshipped.


Members who are found to be unrepentant of violations of Watchtower rules by these elders, are disfellowshipped. Jehovah’s Witnesses can be disfellowshipped for a number of rule violations: premarital or extramarital sex, using alcohol excessively, using tobacco products, celebrating Christmas, reciting the pledge of allegiance, lying, stealing, joining the military, speaking to a disfellowshipped Witness, reading religious material not published by the governing body, or running for political office just to name a few. Fellow members are then required to shun him/her completely, having no contact even if the disfellowshipped person is a family member. (Some allowances are made if the family member is living in the same household).


What the Mormons/ Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints/ Believe

Unlike Christianity, Mormon teachings are not plainly visible. Only when you join their group (a new member cannot enter a temple by the way), then do you found out all the rest.

There is No Trinity.

God is our Heavenly Father. The Mormon church sees God as the Supreme Being of the universe. However, He gradually acquired that position over a long period of time by living a perfect and righteous life. God the Father has a body (flesh and bones). Brigham Young taught that Adam actually was God and the father of Jesus Christ.

The Mormon church views Jesus and Satan as spirit brothers and sons of God. God put forth His plan of salvation for the world, and Satan proposed his own plan. Jesus accepted the Father's plan and offered to implement it as the Savior. The Father chose Jesus, and the spirit of Jesus was given a body through the virgin Mary. He was crucified on a Roman cross, and rose from the dead three days later to establish His deity. The character and life of Jesus is attainable by anyone who performs at such a righteous level. Mormon leaders have taught that Jesus’ incarnation was the result of a physical relationship between God the Father and Mary. Mormons believe Jesus is a god, but that any human can also become a god. Jesus is not omnipresent.

Salvation can be earned by a combination of faith and good works. The Mormon church holds that Jesus Christ overcame physical death and guaranteed physical resurrection to all mankind. However, spiritual death can only be avoided through personal obedience of God's commandments. Forgiveness of sins requires faith, repentance and baptism by an approved Mormon priest. The practice of baptism for the dead is an extension of this belief, in which Mormons are baptized in proxy for those who have died without proper baptism.The first principles and ordinances of the gospel are faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. The Church of Jesus Christ, which existed here on the earth in ancient times, has been restored to the earth through a prophet. The priesthood authority of God necessary to act in the name of God and to perform church ordinances exists in His Church today, just as it did in the original Church. God reveals His will to prophets today, just as He did anciently. Each one of us has a special purpose on this earth. Families can be together forever. By serving others, we become more like Jesus Christ and come closer to God.

The Church Mormons believe that all Christian churches are apostate (false), and that all Christian ministers are hirelings of Satan (this is evidenced by one of their secret Mormon ceremonies). They believe that the real Church of Jesus Christ did not prevail against the devil and thus the true teachings disappeared. Each Mormon must annually pass an interview process that, if successful, rewards him or her with a 'temple recommend' in the form of a small ID card which allows him or her to enter the temple.

The Bible and the Book of Mormon are the word of God. Mormons believe that there are in fact four sources of divinely inspired words, not just one: 1) The Bible “as far as it is translated correctly.” Which verses are considered incorrectly translated is not always made clear. 2) The Book of Mormon, which was “translated” by Smith and published in 1830. Smith claimed it is the “most correct book” on earth and that a person can get closer to God by following its precepts “than by any other book.” 3) The Doctrine and Covenants, containing a collection of modern revelations regarding the “Church of Jesus Christ as it has been restored.” 4) The Pearl of the Great Price, which is considered by Mormons to “clarify” doctrines and teachings that were lost from the Bible and adds its own information about the earth's creation.

The Holy Ghost is real and He can help us to recognize truth when we find it. The first principles and ordinances of the gospel are faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. The Church of Jesus Christ, which existed here on the earth in ancient times, has been restored to the earth through a prophet. The priesthood authority of God necessary to act in the name of God and to perform church ordinances exists in His Church today, just as it did in the original Church. God reveals His will to prophets today, just as He did anciently. Each one of us has a special purpose on this earth. Families can be together forever. By serving others, we become more like Jesus Christ and come closer to God.

Afterlife: The Mormon church maintains that although there is temporary punishment for those that are most wicked, Jesus Christ will establish a new kingdom that will consist of different levels or kingdoms in the afterlife: the celestial kingdom, the terrestrial kingdom, the telestial kingdom, and outer darkness. If the person lived by a satisfactory standard, (including the fulfillment of Mormon temple obligations) that person has the potential to become a god in the after-life. The person can also produce "spirit children" to populate a world of his own (like God did with the earth).

Marriage and Family: Celestial marriage refers to a type of marriage which Mormons believe is intended to last beyond the grave and through eternity. "Celestial" means "heavenly," and indeed, a celestial marriage is a heavenly marriage. This does not indicate a marriage that takes place in heaven, but rather a kind of marriage that is heavenly in nature; it is divine in its origin and potential.

Mormons assert that for a celestial marriage to occur, several key steps must be followed. First, the man and woman must be sealed, or bound, by one holding the authority of God to perform such sealings, which can only take place in Mormon temples. Second, the couple must seek, with all their hearts, to individually and jointly follow Jesus Christ. Third, the sealing must be confirmed by God through His Spirit.

LDS The Thirteen Articles of Faith:


We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.
We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression.
We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.
We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.
We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.
We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.
We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.
We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.
We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.
We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.
We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul-We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

What Free Mason's Believe

Masonic leaders readily admit that Freemasonry is actually a religion, not merely a "fraternal, social, civic service organization." Joseph Fort Newton (1880-1950), an Episcopal minister and recognized authority in the Masonic world, said, "Masonry is not a religion but Religion -- not a church but a worship in which men of all religions may unite."Henry Wilson Coil is the author of the encyclopedia that many lodges now accept as their authoritative source (Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia). Coil says that if Freemasonry is not a religion, nothing would have to be added to make it such, and that the religious service at the funeral of a Mason is evidence enough that Freemasonry is a religion. But the fact that Freemasonry is religion would not necessarily condemn it, except that the views of the Masonic religion are in open conflict with Biblical Christianity, so much so that, in our opinion, a knowledgeable and committed Mason could not possibly be a true Christian. In fact, Freemasonry even sees itself as superseding and unifying all religions.Freemasonry at its core is not a Christian organization. All members must believe in a deity. One must believe in the existence of a “Supreme Being”, which includes the “gods” of Islam, Hinduism, or any other world religion; people of all faiths, even if they use different names for the ‘Nameless One of a hundred names,’ There is no exclusivity in Jesus Christ or the Triune God who is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit;

Masonry was originally a means by which people in the occult could practice their "craft" and still remain respectable citizens. The official publication of "The Supreme Council 33" of Scottish Rite Freemasonry is titled New Age. Some church denominations are also led by avowed Masons. For example, a 1991 survey by the Southern Baptist Convention Sunday School Board found that 14% of SBC pastors and 18% of SBC deacon board chairs were Masons; it is also estimated that SBC members comprise 37% of total U.S. lodge membership. (A 2000 updated SBC report found that over 1,000 SBC pastors are Masons.)

The Shriners are a fraternal organization and its members are bound by oaths of loyalty. The membership is limited to men that are third degree, or master Masons.

According to Freemasonry, a person will be saved and go to heaven as a result of his good works and personal self-improvement. Through symbols and emblems, Masons teach that man is not sinful, just “rude and imperfect by nature”. Human beings are able to improve their character and behavior in various ways, including acts of charity, moral living, and voluntary performance of civic duty. Humanity possesses the ability of moving from imperfection toward total perfection. Moral and spiritual perfection lies within men and women. Masons think that salvation refers to being brought from the material to the spiritual; i.e., when man returns to "his forgotten inherent spirituality." Masons believe that the degree of Master Mason is symbolical of old age, which allows a person to happily reflect on a well-spent life and to "die in the hope of a glorious immortality." Because they deny the reality of sin, Masons see no need of salvation in the Biblical sense. They see salvation as a step-by-step enlightenment, which comes through initiation into the Masonic degrees and their mysteries. In the 19th degree of Scottish Rite Freemasonry, the initiate is told that attachment to Masonry's "statutes and rules of the order" will make him "deserving of entering the celestial Jerusalem [heaven]." In the 28th degree, he is told that "the true Mason [is one] who raises himself by degrees till he reaches heaven" and that one of his duties is "To divest [him]self of original sin ..." Masons clearly teach a salvation by works, or character development, not a salvation by faith in Christ alone. Even in the 32nd Degree, a Mason never can nor will find the "light" he is looking for.

Only men (of at least 21 years of age) can be Masons. There is the Order of the Eastern Star for Master Masons and their wives; the Order of De Molay for boys; and the Order of Job's Daughters and the Order of Rainbow for young girls.

The Bible is only one of several “Volume(s) of Sacred Law,” all of which are deemed to be equally important in Freemasonry. Jim Shaw, a former 33rd degree Mason, says that Masonry is not based on the Bible (referred to as "The Great Light"), but on the Kabala (Cabala), a medieval book of mysticism and magic. Henry Wilson Coil also admits that the Kabala's teachings can be seen in some of the mystical and philosophical degrees of Masonry. Albert Pike the man responsible for virtually rewriting the Scottish Rite degrees into their present form, said that the Masonic "search after light" leads directly back to the Kabala, the ultimate source of Masonic beliefs. Albert G. Mackey, co-author of Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, is also one of Masonry's highest authorities. In his Manual of the Lodge, he traces Masonic teaching back to "the ancient rites and mysteries practiced in the very bosom of pagan darkness. ..." (Albert G. Mackey, Manual of the Lodge, Macoy and Sickles, 1802, p. 96).

The Bible is an important book, only as far as those members who claim to be Christians are concerned, just as the Koran is important to Muslims. The Bible is not considered to be the exclusive Word of God, nor is it considered to be God’s sole revelation of himself to humankind; but only one of many religious sourcebooks. It is a good guide for morality. The Bible is used primarily as a symbol of God’s will, which can also be captured in other sacred texts, like the Koran or Rig Vedas.

Masons do not adjust their beliefs to fit the Bible, the Bible is adjusted to fit their beliefs.

When quoting from the Bible, references to Christ are omitted, and prayer is never allowed to be offered (in a "well-ordered" lodge) in the name of Jesus Christ. Freemasonry does not believe that Jesus Christ is God, nor that salvation is available only through Him (cf. 1 Jn. 4:3). Freemasonry is a religion without a Savior.That Jesus was not the Christ, but that He had attained to the state of "Christ-consciousness" available to all mankind, is again part of Masonry: "Jesus of Nazareth had attained a level of consciousness, of perfection, that has been called by various names: cosmic consciousness, soul regeneration, philosophic initiation, spiritual illumination, Brahmic Splendor, Christ-consciousness" (Lynn F. Perkins, The Meaning of Masonry, CSA Press, 1971, p. 53).

Manly Palmer Hall, another of the great authorities on Masonry, writes, "When the Mason ... has learned the mystery of his Craft, the seething energies of Lucifer are in his hands. ..." (Manly Palmer Hall, The Lost Keys of Freemasonry, p. 48).

Excerpt from Jim Shaw's book: The Deadly Deception, pp. 99 - 109

In order to receive the 33rd Degree it was necessary to go to Washington. D.C. The initiation and related functions were to last three days. ...


...I flew into Washington National Airport and took a taxi to the House of the Temple on Northwest 16th Street. Upon arriving at the Temple I was met by a receptionist who asked if I were there to receive the 33rd Degree. I was surprised to find a women in those sacred Masonic precincts, but said that I was and showed her my letter from the Supreme Council. She then told me that in order to receive the degree, I would be expected to make a "minimum donation" of a very large amount of money (at least it was a "very large" amount for me). This took me completely by surprise for there had not been a word about any such "minimum donation" in the letter sent me by the Supreme Council. I didn't carry that much money with me and had left my checkbook at home but was able to borrow the money from one of the other men and gave it to her. We candidates were all unhappy about this unpleasant surprise and grumbled to one another about it, but were not unhappy enough to forsake the degree over it. We were too close to the "top of the mountain" to turn back at that point.


THE TEMPLE ITSELF


The House of the Temple is quite impressive - a bit awesome, really. Standing large, grey and silent on the east side of Northwest 16th Street, between "R" and "S" Streets, it looms very wide and tall from the curb. There is a huge expanse of granite pavement in front of it, including three levels of narrowing steps as the entrance is approached. Flanking the entrance are two Sphinx-like granite lions with women's heads, the neck of one entwined by a cobra and decorated with the "ankh" (the Egyptian symbol of life and deity).


Adorning the neck and breast of the other is an image of a women, symbolic of fertility and procreation. In the pavement, just in front of the tall bronze doors, are two Egyptian swords with curved, serpentine blades and, between the two swords, brass letters, set into stone, saying, "The Temple of the Supreme Council of the Thirty-Third and Last Degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite."


Over the tall, bronze doors, cut into the stone, is the statement, "Freemasonry Builds Its Temples in the Hearts of Men and Among Nations."


High above the entrance, partially concealed by stone columns, is an elaborate image of the Egyptian sun god, backed with radiating sun and flanked by six large, golden snakes.


Inside is elegance: polished marble, exotic wood, gold and statuary. There are offices, a library, dining room, kitchen, Council Room, "Temple Room" and a large meeting room. This room is like a luxurious theater, rather elegantly furnished and decorated.


The ceiling is dark blue, with lights set into it to give the appearance of stars. These lights can even be made to "twinkle" like stars in the sky. There is a stage, well-equipped, and it is all very nicely done. But the thing that is most noticeable is the way the walls are decorated with serpents. There are all kinds; some very long and large. Many of the Scottish Rite degrees include the representation of serpents and I recognized them among those decorating the walls.


It was all most impressive and gave me a strange mixture of the sensations of being in a temple and in a tomb - something sacred but threatening. I saw busts of outstanding men of the Rite including two of Albert Pike, who is buried there in the wall.


INTERVIEWED BY THE SUPREME COUNCIL


The first day was devoted to registration, briefings and interviews. We were called into one of the offices, one at a time, and interviewed by three members of the Supreme Council.


When my turn came I was ushered into the office and seated. The very first question I was asked was, "Of what religion are you?" Not long before this I would have answered with something like, "I believe the Ancient Mysteries, the 'Old Religion,' and I believe in reincarnation." However, without thinking at all about how to answer, I found myself saying, "I am a Christian."


Then, to my sup rise and theirs, I asked them, "Are you men born again?" The man in charge quickly stopped me by saying, "We're not here to talk about that - we are here to ask you questions."


After they sent me back out I sat down and thought about it. When the next man came out, I asked him, "Did they ask you if you are a Christian?" He said, "Yes, they did."


"What did you tell them?" I asked, and he replied, "I told them 'Hell no, and I never intend to be!'"


Then he said a strange thing to me, "They said I'm going higher," and he left through a different door, looking pleased.


BECOMING A SOVEREIGN GRAND INSPECTOR GENERAL


The second day was the day of the actual initiation, held in the theater-like meeting room. Those of us who were receiving the degree were seated and the ceremony was "exemplified" (acted out in full costume) before us, in the same way that we had performed the lesser degrees of the Scottish Rite all those years. The parts in the exemplification were played by men of the 33rd Degree.


The representative candidate was dressed in black trousers, barefooted, bareheaded and draped in a long, black robe that reminded me of a very long, black raincoat. He had a black cable tow around his neck but was not hoodwinked. During the initiation he was led around the stage, conducted by two men with swords, as the degree was performed for us.


Instructions and signs were given. Upon the altar were four "holy books" (the Bible, the Koran, the Book of the Law and the Hindu Scriptures). At one point the "candidate" was told to kiss the book "of your religion" and, representing us all, he leaned forward and did so. I remembered the First Degree initiation, when I was told to kiss the Bible, and at that moment something came full cycle. It was the final such kiss to be a part of my life.


WINE IN A HUMAN SKULL


When it was time for the final obligation we all stood and repeated the oath with the representative candidate, administered by the Sovereign Grand Inspector General. We then swore true allegiance to the Supreme Council of the 33rd Degree, above all other allegiances, and swore never to recognize any other brother as being a member of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry unless he also recognizes the Supreme authority of "this Supreme Council".


One of the Conductors then handed the "candidate" a human skull, upside down, with wine in it. "May this wine I now drink become a deadly poison to me, as the Hemlock juice drunk by Socrates, should I ever knowingly or willfully violate the same" (the oath).


He then drank the wine. A skeleton (one of the brothers dressed like one - he looked very convincing) then stepped out of the shadows and threw his arms around the "candidate." Then he (and we) continued the sealing of the obligation by saying, "And may these cold arms forever encircle me should I ever knowingly or willfully violate the same."


The Sovereign Grand Commander closed the meeting of the Supreme Council "with the Mystic Number," striking with his sword five, three, one and then two times. After the closing prayer, we all said "amen, amen, amen," and it was over.


................cont...........


THE WORDS HAD MEANING NOW


On Thursday evening we gathered at our home Temple and dressed for the ceremony. It was always a most solemn occasion and seemed a little awesome, even to those of us who had done it many times.


Dressed in long, black, hooded robes, we marched in, single file, with only our faces partly showing, and took our seats.


There was something very tomb-like about the setting. The silence was broken only by the organ, playing mournfully in the background, and there was no light except for the little that came through the windows. After the opening prayer (from which the name of Jesus Christ was conspicuously excluded), I stood and opened the service.


As I had done so many times before, I said, "We meet this day to commemorate the death of our 'Most Wise and Perfect Master,' not as inspired or divine, for this is not for us to decide, but as at least the greatest of the apostles of mankind."


As I spoke these words that I had spoken so many times before, I had a strange and powerful experience. It was as if I were standing apart, listening to myself as I spoke, and the words echoed deep within me, shouting their significance. They were the same words I had spoken so many times before, but had meaning for me now. They made me sick, literally ill, and I stopped.


The realization of what I had just said grew within me like the rising of a crescendo. I had just called Jesus an "apostle of mankind" who was neither inspired nor divine! There was a silent pause that seemed to last a very long time as I struggled with a sick smothering within.


When I was finally able, I continued with the service and we gathered around a large table across the room in marching order. The table was long, shaped like a cross, and covered with a red cloth which was decorated down the center with roses.


A BLACK COMMUNION


Once we were assembled at the table, I elevated (lifted high) the plate of bread, took a piece, put my hand on the shoulder of the man in front of me, gave him the plate and said, "Take, eat, and give to the hungry."


This continued until all had partaken of the bread. Then I lifted up the goblet of wine, took a sip, and said, "Take, drink, and give to the thirsty."


Again, this continued until all had partaken of the wine.


Then I took the bread, walked over to the first row of spectators and served it to the man previously chosen for the honor of representing the rest of the Lodge


As I handed it to him I again said, "Take, eat, and give to the hungry."


In like manner I served the wine to him saying, "Take, drink, and give to the thirsty," and he sat down.


After this we took our places at the table shaped like a cross and sat down. The setting was dark, our long, sweeping robes were solid black, our faces nearly concealed in the hoods, and the mood was one of heavy gloom. The Christ-less prayers and the hymns we sang fit right in. The one word that would describe the entire event would be "black." It was, indeed, a Black Communion - a strange Black Mass.


EXTINGUISHING THE CANDLE


There was a large Menorah (candlestick with seven candle holders) in the center of the room, with seven candles now burning.


Standing again, I said, "This is indeed a sad day, for we have lost our Master. We may never see him again. He is dead! Mourn, weep and cry, for he is gone."


Then I asked the officers to extinguish the candles in the large Menorah. One by one they rose, walked to the center of the room, extinguished a selected candle and left the room.


Finally, with only the center candle still burning, I arose, walked sadly to the Menorah and extinguished the last candle - the candle representing the life of Jesus, our "Most Wise and Perfect Master." We had dramatized and commemorated the snuffing out of the life of Jesus, without once mentioning his name, and the scene ended with the room in deep silent darkness. I walked out of the room, leaving only the darkness and the stillness of death.


Once again, the single word best to describe it would be "black."


All through the service I was shaking and sick. I have never felt so sad. I had stumbled over the words but, somehow, I made it to the completion of the ceremony and went back to the dressing room. I still didn't know much about praying but felt that I had been sustained by the Lord through it all.


THE FINAL PARTING


Back in the dressing room we hung up our black, hooded robes, put our street clothes back on and prepared to leave. Less than two hours had passed since I arrived. But what had happened in that period of time had changed my life forever.


Still sick in my heart, I changed clothes without a word to anyone. The others asked me what was wrong. But I couldn't reply.


They reminded me that I had acted as Wise Master so many times before, that I was known for my smooth performance of it, and they asked what had gone wrong.


I was choking on the awful reality of what we had said and done, the way we had blasphemed the Lord, and the evil, black mockery we had made of His pure and selfless death. With weeping welling up within me. I could only shake my head in silence and walk out.


Mike was waiting for me at the door, expecting to get a ride home, and he asked, "What's the matter, Jim? Are you sick?"


Finally able to speak, I quietly replied, "No, Mike, I'm just sick of all this."


"IT ISN'T RIGHT"


I started down the wide steps in front of the large Scottish Rite Temple, realization and conviction growing within me, reached the bottom step and stopped. Turning around, I looked back at the huge, granite building and slowly studied the words, carved in the stone across the top of the entrance: "ANCIENT AND ACCEPTED SCOTTISH RITE OF FREEMASONRY."


Something came clearly into focus in my understanding and I made a decision. This crisis point in my life, one which had required so many years for me to reach, passed in seconds. The truth was revealed and the choice was made - a choice that would be the difference between darkness and light, death and life, one that would last for eternity. Looking up at those words I had walked under so many times, words of which I had been so proud, I spoke to myself out loud. It was as if I were the only man in the world as I heard myself say, slowly and deliberately, "It isn't ancient, it isn't Scottish, it isn't free, and it isn't right!"

God is God by marietjie Chase

God is God. He is in control. He has NOT abdicated or gone on vacation. He did not delegate His position and has Not abandoned us. He has not made other little gods to help Him be god and He is not uncomfortable at being God.

The president, government, doctors, your spouse, boss, teacher or pastor is NOT God. You give them due respect but they do NOT deserve your worship and first place in your devotion.  We misunderstand submission and get lost in a quagmire of idol worship until we find ourselves choked in circumstances we cannot comprehend. When we de-throne God in our hearts, we play with fire. What is it that you give the most time, money and energy to? What occupy most of your thoughts? When you have decisions to make, what are you thinking? Maybe you think: " I wonder what my mother/father/pastor/friend/etc would think or say?" This is placing that person in the place of God in our lives. Some may say, and this is maybe more often true, I don't think of anyone else; I just do what is right for me. Well, then you worship at the altar of self.

Jesus said: "I delight to do Your will O, God"

When we worship God in spirit and in truth, we live for His will. We desire to please Him first and foremost. Our concern is first with what God wants. Our submission is first to Him. We commit our lives, and all that it entails, to Him and trust Him with it. We ask ourselves what God would have us do. We search the scriptures and pray for answers. We obey God. The Bible says that those who have a heart postured at obedience, will know the will of God. We have faith, trust and peace with His will for us.

When God is God in our lives, we do not call the shots. We do not demand from or command God. We do not make plans, or do things, and then demand God's blessing upon it. We do not walk in presumption and then get angry because God does not fall in with our plans.When God is God we walk in humility, honesty and uprightness before Him.

There is nothing wrong with asking, in humility, when we do not understand, like Mary did. It is when we get angry at God, when we get offended at His godness, we step out of submission and into rebellion. When we do not understand, we find peace in the fact that because He IS God that He has all things in control. That He has a plan and a purpose and that we and all that concerns us, is safe in His hands.

Could we believe that? Could we believe that God is God?

The question still re-vibrates through the ages: "Who are you and who is your god?"

The Unchanging God by Marietjie Chase

The way I hear some folks talk you would think that there are a few hundred different god's who send their son to die on a cross. The way people relate to God and make Him sound like; makes one think that He is like us and made in our image...That is obviously putting the cart in front of the horse.

Not only is He an eternal, everlasting God, He also does not change. He is forever the same.


Before we go and make a god palatable to us, a god that fits our box, let's find out who He really is. Let's just simply look at what is already revealed. God says of Himself :"I am the LORD, I change not." Malachi 3:6. In Numbers 23:19 He says: " God is not a man, that He should lie, nor the son of man that He should repent.” Hebrews 13:8 says: "Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever." Since God is God, we can only know Him by what He reveals of Himself. "Going through a long line of prophets, God has been addressing our ancestors in different ways for centuries. Recently he spoke to us directly through his Son. By his Son, God created the world in the beginning, and it will all belong to the Son at the end. This Son perfectly mirrors God, and is stamped with God's nature. He holds everything together by what he says—powerful words! " Hebrews 1: 1-2 When we study the Bible to know God, we will see who He is. When we see how He deals with people in the Old Testament we get to know Him. This does not mean that our own History with God should be discounted. Just remember that because you are involved, that it is subjective. Still, let us agree with Paul when he says:"That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;" Phil 3:10

 
Some folks think there is an Old Testament God and a New Testament God. This is deceiption. There is only one God.  God did not change. Who He is does not change. He demanded sacrifice for sin in the Old Testament and He demanded sacrifice for sin in the New Testament. In the Old Testament it was bulls, calves and steers in the New Testament He provided His own sacrifice, His Son, Jesus Christ. He was a Holy God in the past and is still a Holy God. He hated sin then and still hates sin. He loved His people then and He loves His people now. Those who neglect any part of the Bible will have a dilusional idea of God.
 
God does not change, He does not mature, He does not grow. What changes, is our relationship with Him as we get to know Him better and more intimately. We are the variable in the equation. God is the constant. The old hymn writers knew this: "A Mighty Fortress is our God," "My Anchor holds...", " On Christ the solid Rock I stand..." 

For some of us who are constantly being shaken by the waves of ever-changing life, we find comfort in this. God will never change. He will be our anchor, our sure foundation, since in Him, there is no shadow of changing. The world may change, the sun, moon and stars may change but God will never change. The God that was there at creation is still the same God whom we worship today. The God who is going to be there at the end is the same God we are relating to today.

We can hold onto this. We can find a footing in this. We can find our balance in this. God will not change and He will always be there..

Thank You Father, that You are a Solid refuge and an unchangeable Fortress.

Everlasting Father...Marietjie Chase


Jesus said that before Abraham was, He is. The Bible says that Jesus is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. We call God Eternal God, Everlasting Father but do we really believe this? When God revealed Himself to Moses at the burning bush, He called Himself " I Am".

God created 'Time" for us. Elementary science explains time as we know it, chronological time, as something that comes from the earth rotating around it's own axil, days and hours, and  from the loop that the earth makes around the sun, years. Months comes from the moon's rotation around the earth. All this was created "in the beginning..." by God. The Creator is bigger than the created. He is outside of this thing called time. Yes, sometimes He deals with years, days and hours for our benefit, but He is NOT trapped in Time. God is eternal, without end or beginning. He holds the universe in His hands.

What is the implications of this?

It explains a lot of things for me. God can see way more of our past, present and future than we can. The view is almost like what we see in relation to what an ant sees or the kids in " Honey, I shrunk the kids". Because God is everywhere, past, present and future at once, it makes sense that He will know the end from the beginning. It explains prophesy. It explains why God can call the things that are not as though they are. It explains why Gideon hiding in the winepress were addressed as a "mighty warrior".

It explains co-crucifixion. The instant I accept Jesus Christ as my personal savior and Lord, I am crucified with Him. God sees it all at once. When I call upon the name of Jesus, my life becomes His and His life becomes mine. Then in this way I died and I am no longer a sinner but a saint. I have died with Christ and am no longer a slave to sin. The crucifixion of Jesus is not history. It is as real as it was when it happened. That is the reality of being outside of time.

It explains how the blood of Jesus, spilled 2000 years ago, our time, can still redeem sinners. The blood of Jesus, is now. It is timeless. It does not grow old or powerless because it is not bound by time. It is ever-present to free whosoever will believe in Him. It is ever present to cleans us and sanctify us from all spot, wrinkles and shortcommings.

And I am sure that meditating on this attribute of God, this revealed truth about the God that we serve, will bring more light to us...

Jesus said to the Sadducees: " You are mistaken because you do not know the scripture nor the power of God." And today, because so many preaches their pet-doctrine instead of declaring God, few actuallly knows Him. Just listen to what people say and how they talk before and about God. Had they known Him by what He has already revealed, the reality of their lives would be different.

Man is NOT the center of Christianity, God is. Theology is the study of God. When we talk about Him or make doctrine, we need to at least know God.

Sin and Sins; there is a difference by Michael Engler

There is a vast difference between “sin” and “sins”. It is therefore imperative we understand the difference before entering any discussion on whether we are free or not. We simply must clearly understand what we are freed from and how it came about. Rom 5:12, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all man for that all have sinned.” Adam sinned when he chose Satan’s words over God’s. Sin entered into Adam by obeying those words and the result was a changed nature that affected his spirit, soul and body. From that moment on, man has passed this nature to his offspring through the flesh. Rom. 7:18, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” Rom. 7:22-23, “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”




Therefore, we are born with a spirit and soul that are basically innocent but independent from God and a body in which dwells the law of sin. Sins then are different from sin in that sins arise from the sin nature in our flesh just as fruit is borne on a tree. Sins occur when we choose to obey the lust of the flesh rather that what we know to be right. This is also where the law enters the process. God’s law defines right and wrong and gives sin its power with regard to our conscience. There is no loss of innocence when my flesh covets until the law says “don’t covet” and I do it anyway. Therefore, sin abides in the flesh and shall be with us until the resurrection buts sins abide in the conscience and have consequences in this world, in my flesh, in my mind and in my spirit. To free us God had to deal with “sin” and “sins” as well as man’s relationship to the law.



So what has God done about this wretched situation? Did He destroy sin so that it no longer exists? Did He destroy the law so that it has passed away? Did He change His mind about what is right and what is wrong? Has God decided to have fellowship with sins? Does God no longer mind if His children live like demons as long as they have clear consciences? Rom. 6:2, God forbid! How shall we who are dead to sin live any longer therein?” Notice sin did not die but we died to it. Rom. 6:6, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” God placed us in Christ and we were crucified together. Our flesh died with His so that the power sin held over it might be brought to nothing.



Furthermore, Jesus’ identification with us did not stop there, but we were also raised together with Him so that we share the same spiritual life and righteousness He has. God has placed the life of Jesus in our spirit so that we may bear the image of the last Adam just as we have borne the image of the first. God gave us this Life and righteousness in an earthen vessel and because that vessel, although purchased, has not yet received the fullness of the resurrection, sin remains in the flesh and must be overcome. God’s intention is that this Life would be the source of our power over sin through our walking in fellowship and relationship with Him. Rom. 6:11-18, “… reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin; but yield yourselves unto God as those who are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the law, but under grace. What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law but under grace? God forbid! Know ye not the to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom you obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being made free from sin, you became the servants of righteousness.” This clearly indicates the believer has a choice to either yield to the promptings of sin in his flesh or to rule over it by yielding the body to the promptings of God.



Man’s problem was that he could not justify himself through the law because of the weakness of his flesh. Therefore what the law could not do, God did by sending His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin. God has condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousness that the law demands might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit (Rom. 8:3-4). Therefore, again, the law did not die for the law of God is good and righteous and true, but we have become dead to the law (Rom. 7:4) and are to no longer try to use it as a means of obtaining righteousness. Rom. 3:20, Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Trying to keep the law through human effort actually stirs up sin and leaves us under the curse.



Why then must the law be removed as man’s means for salvation? Rom. 4:13-16, “For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect. Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed…” If it is by works then only the strong will make it. But the law has proven that none of us are strong enough so it is by grace so all may receive the promise.



So we died in Christ both to sin and to the law of our own works and have been also raised up in Him with His very own life in us. Now we are made righteous with His own righteousness and “…old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.” Because of the gift of righteousness, we have become the temple of God and what was impossible under the law because of sin, has now become a reality for us: in that He has given us His Spirit to dwell in us. His own presence within us now empowers us to walk in the flesh without being sin’s slave.



The knowledge of God’s acceptance of Christ’s blood in the heavenly holy of holies has purged our conscience of dead works, restoring our innocence and fellowship with God. We can now walk in the nature of God instead of the nature of sin. Since we have switched fathers, we can do the good works preordained by God for us to walk in. We are no longer under the law but are under grace. However grace is not an excuse for sins but a deliverance from their power because we know and believe in the love God has for us. Confessing our sins is not a way of changing God’s mind about us, it is the means of our cleansing our conscience from the power and control of sin and death through guilt. Know this: if I can make you guilty, then I can control your life through fear. But if through faith in Christ’s blood and the love of God, you can free yourself from the power of guilt and the torment of fear, then sin cannot control you. Keeping the law cannot do this for us. Only faith has the power to change our behavior from within by our obedience to love and the working of the Holy Spirit.