A New but Not New Mission: September 2018

Sunday, September 2, 2018

What is true worship to God and what is not- Greek/Freemason Rebuttal PART 4

"I worship God through my membership in my organization" is a common statement heard from members of Greek/Freemason organizations when told their organization is one of Satan's evil attempts to deceive people. Is it true? Can a Christian claim they are worshiping the true God, Jehovah by the activities they partake in through their fraternity/sorority? What does the word of God say? What does it mean to "worship? These questions will addressed in the next points in this post series and those who have an ear to hear will hear from God the truth. Because this is a complex topic, this post will be broken down into four posts. This is post 4.

**This info sets the stage for each post:
First, what does it mean to worship in practical terms. Merriam defines worship as "to honor or reverence as divine being or supernatural power" or "two regard with great or extravagant respect, honor, or devotion".

John Piper (2016) gives this statement about worship of God, " The inner essence of worship is to know God truly and then respond from the heart to that knowledge by valuing God, treasuring God, praising God, enjoying God, being satisfied with God above all earthly things. And then that deep, restful, joyful satisfaction in God overflows in demonstrable acts of praise from the lips and demonstrable acts of love in serving others for the sake of Christ." (emphasis added)

Delesslyn Kennebrew (2012) wrote, "Worship is to honor with extravagant love and extreme submission(Webster's Dictionary,1828). True worship, in other words, is defined by the priority we place on who God is in our lives and where God is on our list of priorities. True worship is a matter of the heart expressed through a lifestyle of holiness." (emphasis added).

Giving sacrifices is a form of worship. In the Bible worship is defined in these scriptures:

Hebrews 13:15 "Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name."

Romans 12:1-2 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

Many who profess to be Christians and defend staying a member of their Greek/Masonic organization claim they are not idol worshiping, but again, we have look at what it means to 'worship'.

**This info sets the stage for each post

Point 8. Elitism

Once a person becomes a member of one of these organizations they go from being a just a regular person to now an illustrious member of higher values and worth than those who are not members. There is a hierarchy within these organizations and the leaders are given king and queen servitude from its members. The older members of these organizations as well as those in other leadership
positions are considered VIP members who must be treated with all due respect and honor and given special privileges and service. The evil spirit of pride is rampant. I have witnessed physical and verbal altercations, cursing and hatred demonstrated between "sorors". VIP's expect all their expenses to be paid when visiting for events, they expect to be escorted, catered to.

Are Christians to believe they are better than others? Are Christians to believe and desire positions over others? Here is what the bible has to say, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave or free, there is neither male or female; for your are one in Christ" Galatians 3:28. Jesus makes it clear that elitism is not a characteristic of one His followers, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be among you; but whoever desires to be come great among you, let him by your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave-Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." Matthew 20:25-28.

Point 9. Idolatry

Some people have a misconception about what idolatry is. Idolatry is not exclusive to bowing down to a statue or graven images. Merriam-Webster defines Idolatry: is extreme admiration, love, reverence for something or someone.

“God is jealous that he be honored by being treasured, and he is jealous that we be satisfied by treasuring him.” - John Piper

United Church of God- When God said, “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3), He wasn’t just talking about the imaginary deities that seem so ridiculous to us today. He was talking about anything that usurps His place as number one in our hearts.

God's description of Idolatry: "For since the creation of the world He invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were they thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man- and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things." Romans 1:20-23.

Members of these Greek/Masonic organizations praise the founders, spend countless hours learning the history of their organizations, but don't know the word of God. And even if they do know the word of God, but still like the children of Israel, who knew the law but still tried to mix God's laws with pagan laws for which. When people go out and serve their community it is their organization that gets the praise. Even when these people get married, they sing that their first love is still the organization.

Point 10. Works of Darkness

As mentioned above, Christians are the temple of God, we are to present our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and blameless to God. What is clear, especially at the undergraduate level the activities of these Greek members is anything but godly. The partying with drunkenness, lewdness, fornication, mean girls/guys, conceitedness, young men and women dying as a result of going through hazing processes. The step shows that are full of debauchery and classicism. Women dressed like prostitutes, men and women prostrating themselves in lewd and raunchy dancing. The house parties where anything goes. But the wickedness does not stop after graduation, it just 'matures'. Maybe there are no more wild parties, instead other sins like gossip, lying, selfishness, hate, unforgiveness, pride, hypocrisy, divination, sexual immorality, envy, unloving, maliciousness, strife are the fruits within these organizations.

Many profess to be Christians but this is what the bible says, "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God" 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. Jesus called out the religious folks in His day who thought they were followers of God but He correctly identified who their real father was, Satan.

A true Christian's works and behavior should glorify God. Also works done out of anything but love for God are works of lawlessness and worthless, "Though I speak with tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing" 1 Corinthians 13:1-3; and, the most important warning of all comes from Jesus himself, "

Jesus declares that works that look good on the outside are actually acts of disobedience, works of darkness. This warning is not just for Greeks/Masons but non-Greek church members as well.

I can image at the judgment seat of Christ, many saying, " Lord I served on the deacon board in Your name, I served the homeless in Your name, I served as president of my chapter in your name, I helped build homes for the homeless in Your name, I sang in the choir in Your name, I am the son/daughter of a pastor, I was a preacher in Your name, Lord I gave 10% of my monthly earnings to the church in Your name, Lord I went to church every Sunday in Your name, I served my sorority/fraternity for 50 years in Your name and on and on will be the litany of things they did thinking they were doing them for God when the truth is they were working for Satan. Jesus says these people are deceiving themselves and they will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

These are points 8 thru 10 in this series, it is recommended you review all the posts in this series for a full exploration of the issue.

If anyone is interested in more information please click on this link:

https://www.outfromamongthem.com/

For we are opposed all over the world by a monolithic

ruthless conspiracy that relies mainly on covet means for expanding its sphere of influence. It's preparations are concealed, not published. It's mistakes are buried, not headlined. It's dissenters are silenced, not praised. No expenditure is questioned, no rumor is printed. No secret is revealed. The very word secrecy is repugnant in a free and open society and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths, and to secret proceedings, confident with your help, man will be what he was born to be, free and independent. John F. Kennedy

There is going to be a Day of Judgment, and God will judge everyone who has ever lived, His wrath is going to poured out on all the wicked and ungodly. The eyes of the unrepentant wicked need to be opened and the ears unplugged so they can see and hear the truth. In order for the children of Satan to become children of God they must believe The Good News , Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, born of a virgin; Jesus lived and died but He rose from Dead, and now offers anyone who will believe in Him Salvation. Salvation is a free gift from God, anyone who will believes in the shed blood of the risen Savior, Jesus, will know and have a real relationship with the true God. You can't work for it or buy because the price has already been paid with the Blood of Jesus Christ and Believing in Jesus gets us into the Kingdom of God and saves us from the righteous wrath of God. But that is not all, He gives us a new heart and mind NOW, and we receive some of His blessing from heaven NOW and are equipped to be able to live a life that is holy and acceptable to Him NOW. (Romans 6:9; 10:9-13, Ephesians 2:8, Isaiah 7:14, 2 Corinthians 5:18-19).

1. Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is real, He lived and died and rose from the grave. (Romans 10:9-10)

2. Believe that you are a sinner, repent-turn from your sins and realize and accept you need Jesus. (Mark 1:15, Matthew 4:17, Acts 3:19)

3. Confess with your mouth that Jesus is your Lord and God. (Romans 10:9)

4. Find a local Bible preaching church that does obey the commandment for water baptism for the remission of your sins and to identify yourself with Christ. (Acts 16:31)

This is just the first step to a lifelong journey of growing in truth and love with the God who created this earth and everything in it, including every human being that has ever lived.

Bible verses related to this post: Proverbs 4:23; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Chronicles 29:11; Psalm 105:1; Psalm 16:2; Psalm 95:6; Matthew 5:15-16; Isaiah 12:4; Psalm 73:25; Psalm 9:2; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Psalm 103: 1-4; Psalm 63: 3-4, 7-8; Psalm 100; Acts 17:30; Ephesians 2:8-9; Psalm 47:6-7: 2 Corinthians 9:7; Matthew 22:37; Matthew 5:37; Matthew 5:33-37; Matthew 5:16; Matthew 7:21-23; Matthew 6:21; James 4:4; 1 Corinthians 5:11; 1 Corinthians 10:20-22; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Galatians 3:28; Matthew 20:25-28; Romans Chapter 1; 1 Corinthians 13:1-3; Matthew 7:21-23; John 8:12; Deuteronomy 18:10-12; Romans 1:20-23; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10

References: https://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/worship; https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/what-is-worship; https://www.christianitytoday.com/biblestudies/bible-answers/spirituallife/what-is-true-worship.html; http://www.stichtingargus.nl/vrijmetselarij/g/greekindex.html

What is true worship to God and what is not- Greek/Freemason Rebuttal PART 3

"I worship God through my membership in my organization" is a common statement heard from members of Greek/Freemason organizations when told their organization is one of Satan's evil attempts to deceive people. Is it true? Can a Christian claim they are worshiping the true God, Jehovah by the activities they partake in through their fraternity/sorority? What does the word of God say? What does it mean to "worship? These questions will addressed in the next points in this post series and those who have an ear to hear will hear from God the truth. Because this is a complex topic, this post will be broken down into four posts.

**This info sets the stage for each post:
First, what does it mean to worship in practical terms. Merriam defines worship as "to honor or reverence as divine being or supernatural power" or "two regard with great or extravagant respect, honor, or devotion".

John Piper (2016) gives this statement about worship of God, " The inner essence of worship is to know God truly and then respond from the heart to that knowledge by valuing God, treasuring God, praising God, enjoying God, being satisfied with God above all earthly things. And then that deep, restful, joyful satisfaction in God overflows in demonstrable acts of praise from the lips and demonstrable acts of love in serving others for the sake of Christ." (emphasis added)

Delesslyn Kennebrew (2012) wrote, "Worship is to honor with extravagant love and extreme submission(Webster's Dictionary,1828). True worship, in other words, is defined by the priority we place on who God is in our lives and where God is on our list of priorities. True worship is a matter of the heart expressed through a lifestyle of holiness." (emphasis added).

Giving sacrifices is a form of worship. In the Bible worship is defined in these scriptures:

Hebrews 13:15 "Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name."

Romans 12:1-2 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

Many who profess to be Christians and defend staying a member of their Greek/Masonic organization claim they are not idol worshiping, but again, we have look at what it means to 'worship'.

**This info sets the stage for each post

Point 7. If it quacks like a duck, swims like a duck, walks like a duck, is it a giraffe?

Many Christians believe that their initial rituals are godly because their rituals have Bible scriptures and God and Jesus as part of their rituals, but what many forget, Satan knows scripture too and when God is mentioned, what God are they actually referring to?
.
Here are a few lines from some of these organizations initial rituals, are these idolatrous or not?

Alpha Phi Alpha - "The hand of ALPHA PHI ALPHA shall defend and guide him from all sides as he goes"The candidate shall kneel and eat the food prepared by the gods for ALPHA PHI ALPHA men. ALL CHAPTERS are reminded that brutality and carelessness were never intended, and are not condoned and do not comply either with the spirit or intelligence of Alpha Phi Alpha, of Alpha Phi Alpha, the light of the world!

Omega Psi Phi- "My friends, we are now about to go through the most sacred part of the entire initiation; you are about to take upon yourself an oath which will bond you most intimately to every brother of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, and enlist you in a cause with
which you will at all times be expected to sympathize, whose principles you will uphold and defend, whose name you will honor, and to which you will give your full support, Think well of what you are doing; think of the responsibility you are taking upon yourself, and of your obligation to the Fraternity.
The taking of this oath (in direct contradiction to Matthew 5:33-37) is not a matter of mere formality, but a far more serious transaction. It is the centralizing of all the higher forces within one upon a great principle in the presence of Almighty God , the keeping of which immediately decides the man. On bringing you from the darkness of selfish and self-centered lives in to the fullness and light of life in Omega,

Alpha Chi Omega- "The nature of our Ritual is that of an art form-a pageant, a dramatization of our ideals set against a backdrop of classical Greek mythology. The message spoken by our Ritual therefore appeals to more than just our ears and our minds; to an extent it is also permitted to have a visual appeal and to stir our aesthetic sensibilities. It maybe considered spiritual in the sense that music or art or drama or poetry touch the spiritual aspects of our nature, but it is never to be viewed as a religious ceremony .
Iris leads the initiates to the temple door after they have been robed and the introduction to the Initiation Ceremony has been conducted.
To initiates: You, a Child of Darkness regarding the mysteries of our ancient sisterhood, have come form the Outer World seeking our inspired teachings. You are about to be conducted into the presence of those who are convened in the Temple of Light where the mystic rites of Alpha Chi Omega will be revealed to you."

Delta Sigma Theta- We believe in a spiritual life but we leave to the individual the selection of the medium for its outward manifestation.
A fire—mist and a planet A haze on the far horizon
A crystal ball and a cell, The infinite tender ski,
A jellyfish and a saurian, The ripe, rich tint of the cornfields,
And caves where cavemen dwell— And all the upland and lowland
The a sense of law and beauty The charm of the goldenrod,
And a face turned from the clod, Some of call it Autumn,
Some of us call it longing, and others call it God.
And others call it God.

Delta National Hym:
Delta! With glowing hearts we praise thee Delta Sigma Theta! We rejoice thee!

For the strength thy love bestow, Delta Sigma Theta! We pledge thee loyalty,
For the glowing grace of thy sisterhood, Devoted to truth; a bond our youth,
And the power that from it flows. That keeps our hearts clean and pure to the end.
Keep in us a strong endeavor, The bright gleam of thy vision has lighted the world;
And our souls to rapture raise. Delta Sigma Theta! Our Own!
Delta lights the flame, and ever
Warms our hearts her bonds to praise.

Delta! With loyal hearts we gather
To renew our vows of love;
In the forceful bond of devoted trust,
As our womanhood moves on.
Strengthen in us, old and younger,
As our ranks increase and grow;
Delta’s ideals, ever stronger,
Glorious in triumphant power.

Alpha Delta Kappa- It is important, as a member of ALPHA DELTA KAPPA, to know that these Greek letters signify qualities which we, as ALPHA DELTA KAPPA sisters, strive to emulate. They are represented by the mythological goddesses ATHENA, Demeter and Proserpina.

Before you is the Greek symbol ALPHA. ALPHA stands for ATHENA, who was in control of the air and the heavens. She was the GODDESS OF WISDOM, her name meaning “mind.” The Greek symbol ALPHA is the first in our name trilogy.
ATHENA had as her symbol the olive tree. Olive green was her color; therefore, in ALPHA DELTA KAPPA we take olive green as one of our colors.
The second symbol of our trilogy is the Greek DELTA, which signifies DEMETER, GODDESS OF SOWING AND REAPING known as the GODDESS OF THE EARTH.
As educators, our aim is to sow the desire for learning in the minds of youth in order that the benefits of knowledge and experience may be reaped by them and shared with their fellow men.
Demeter was symbolized by a sheaf of corn, and yellow was her color. Therefore, one of our colors is golden yellow, which, combined with the olive green of ATHENA, constitute the official colors of our sorority. When they are in combination, we are reminded that, as members of ALPHA DELTA KAPPA, our aims shall be the sowing and the reaping of knowledge.
The third symbol of our trilogy is the Greek KAPPA. It stands for KORE, whose Roman name is PROSERPINA GODDESS OF SPRING.
Mythology relates that she spent the spring and summer seasons on the earth making it beautiful with crops and flowers. Thus, as educators, we strive to awaken the minds of youth so that their lives may become more beautiful through the inspiration imparted to them. Proserpina is represented by the cornucopia, the symbol of plenty.
The purple violet has been chosen as our symbolic flower because it is most indicative of spring.

Are Alpha Phi Alpha, Omega Psi Phi, Delta Sigma Theta the light of the world or any other Greek/Masonic organization the light of the world? What does the Word of God say, Jesus says "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not work in darkness, but have the light of life" John 8:12.

Are Christians to have anything to do with crystal balls, mystic rites, eating foods of gods, align themselves with Greek gods/goddesses?

"There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these are an abomination to the LORD" Deuteronomy 18:10-12. (emphasis added).

All of these Greek/Masonic organizations have similar initial rituals and they all have some of the same qualities shared with witch coven rituals- ie candles, kneeling, darkness to light, exclusivity, secret handshakes/signs, oaths to their organization, Gnostic type of rhetoric 'now that you have become a member of XYZ fraternity/sorority, you now are 'special', you have secret knowledge unknown by the uninitiated. Again, some of these Greek letter organizations have some Bible scriptures and make references to God/Jesus along with the references that they are now representatives of the organization, NOT GOD! Ex Masons have revealed that part of their initiations they vow to not tell any of the secrets or they will be killed and cursed. Masons worship the Great Architect of the Universe (GAOTU)- ie Satan.

What is it to worship? "Oh come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker" Psalm 95:6. (emphasis added). Are Christians to "strengthen" themselves in the doctrines of men (their sorority/fraternity) or the word of God? Are Christians to hide the doctrines of God?

God will not be mocked, He is merciful, loving, just but also righteous and holy and hates idolatry and other sins. As believers, we are to study God's word and apply to every aspect of our lives, if something in my life does not align with what God says should be in my life, why I am keeping that thing/person/activity?

This is the word of God for those still unsure about their membership in their Greek/Freemason group or are thinking about joining one, don't listen to me and all the others who have woke up to the truth, listen to God!

God commands that His people be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people." Therefore, "Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean and I will receive you. I will a Father to you, and you be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty." 2 Corinthians 6:14-18. In the initiation ceremonies you are yoking yourself to your 'brothers' and 'sisters' REGARDLESS if they are are a believer in Christ or not (which many are not).

This is point 7 of 10 in this series.

If anyone is interested in more information please click on this link:
https://www.outfromamongthem.com/

1. Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is real, He lived and died and rose from the grave. (Romans 10:9-10)

2. Believe that you are a sinner, repent-turn from your sins and realize and accept you need Jesus. (Mark 1:15, Matthew 4:17, Acts 3:19)

3. Confess with your mouth that Jesus is your Lord and God. (Romans 10:9)

4. Find a local Bible preaching church that does obey the commandment for water baptism for the remission of your sins and to identify yourself with Christ. (Acts 16:31)

This is just the first step to a lifelong journey of growing in truth and love with the God who created this earth and everything in it, including every human being that has ever lived.

What is true worship to God and what is not- Greek/Freemason Rebuttal PART 2

"I worship God through my membership in my organization" is a common statement heard from members of Greek/Freemason organizations when told their organization is one of Satan's evil attempts to deceive people. Is it true? Can a Christian claim they are worshiping the true God, Jehovah by the activities they partake in through their fraternity/sorority? What does the word of God say? What does it mean to "worship? These questions will addressed in the next points in this post series and those who have an ear to hear will hear from God the truth. Because this is a complex topic, this post will be broken down into four posts.

**This info sets the stage for each post:
First, what does it mean to worship in practical terms. Merriam defines worship as "to honor or reverence as divine being or supernatural power" or "two regard with great or extravagant respect, honor, or devotion".

John Piper (2016) gives this statement about worship of God, " The inner essence of worship is to know God truly and then respond from the heart to that knowledge by valuing God, treasuring God, praising God, enjoying God, being satisfied with God above all earthly things. And then that deep, restful, joyful satisfaction in God overflows in demonstrable acts of praise from the lips and demonstrable acts of love in serving others for the sake of Christ." (emphasis added)

Delesslyn Kennebrew (2012) wrote, "Worship is to honor with extravagant love and extreme submission(Webster's Dictionary,1828). True worship, in other words, is defined by the priority we place on who God is in our lives and where God is on our list of priorities. True worship is a matter of the heart expressed through a lifestyle of holiness." (emphasis added).

Giving sacrifices is a form of worship. In the Bible worship is defined in these scriptures:

Hebrews 13:15 "Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name."

Romans 12:1-2 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

Many who profess to be Christians and defend staying a member of their Greek/Masonic organization claim they are not idol worshiping, but again, we have look at what it means to 'worship'.

**This info sets the stage for each post

Point 4. Membership

How does one become a follower of Christ? Who is welcome to become a Christian? "Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent," Acts 17:30. (emphasis added).

To become a member of a Greek/Freemason organization you have to be selected by the members.

Is a Christian selected by God based on what they do or who they are? "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and not of yourselves; it is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9. "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28).

To become a member of a Greek/Freemason organization you must meet their selective criteria to look a certain way, be a certain skin color, be financially secure, have done community service, make good grades in school, and have a "good" reputation. If a person does not meet all these qualifications their petition to become a member will be denied; and, membership dues cost thousands of dollars, and to continue to remain a member, members will continue to spend thousands of dollars on yearly assessments, dues, paraphernalia, and other activities to promote the fraternity/sorority/lodge.

What is the process for becoming a Christian? Is it done in secret, in the dark with candles, kneeling at an altar, saying pledges and oaths to the church that the person is a part of? To become a Christian there is no ceremonial type activities at all (aside from public water baptism), but to become a Greek/Freemason a person will have to go through a ceremony, make oaths and pledges to give their heart and loyalty TO THE ORGANIZATION!
Jesus warns for His people to NOT make oaths in Matthew 5:33-37 "Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely but shall perform your oaths to the LORD.' "But I say to you, do not swear at all; neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. "But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,'No,' for WHATEVER IS MORE THAN THESE IS FROM THE EVIL ONE." (emphasis added).

Many try to deflect the issue about taking oaths saying things like, "You make oaths when you say the pledge of allegiance" or " You make pledges on your job" so there's nothing wrong with making pledges to their organization. Saying the pledge of allegiance or making a pledge at work are vastly different things than pledging your heart, mind, soul, and strength to an organization. I don't go around singing, "Oh, XYZ company, I love thee Oh, XYZ Company." People don't know what company I work for unless I wear some company t-shirt. And I don't pledge my heart, soul, strength to my job. God does not prohibit jobs, actually He expects able bodied people to work. Employers have expectations and as an employee me pledging to abide by that employers expectations is not idol worship; (now it is possible to turn a job into an idol but that is not the point of this post) and saying a pledge of allegiance to uphold the laws of the country I live in is still not the same as pledging my heart, mind, soul, strength.

Point 5. Identity

Another form or worship is good works, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16.

Does God look on the outside of a person, does He judge a person based on their clothing, skin color, bank account, prestige, education? No, God is no respector or persons. To be a part of these organizations you have to be deemed worthy by them, which is seeking acceptance by people, this is in direct opposition to the fact that God has already called His true followers worthy, we do not need to be accepted by man.
How should the public/non-believers identify a follower of Christ? According to Jesus, a true follower of His will be know by the 'love' that they show one another and genuine good works. Jesus makes it clear that just because a person does what is considered good works in the world does not mean those works meet God's standards, in fact Jesus calls them "works of lawlessness" (Matthew 7:23). Also, the love Jesus is talking about is agape, self-less, self-sacrificing love. If a person sees another person wearing a shirt, jacket, hat or anything else with that organizations emblems, what or who is that person going to acknowledge and identify first? If you see a guy wearing a shirt with Alpha Phi Alpha on it, you will assume this guy is member of this organization. Why do members wear paraphernalia? Is it to bring glory to God? Or is it to bring glory to themselves and their organization?

When new members are initiated into one of these organizations a common thing is for them to be given 'new names' called line name, another contrast is God gives His people new names like He changed Saul to Paul, and Abram to Abraham. Do these new line names represent newness in Christ or not? NO!!!

Point 6. Collusion

"Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you now know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." James 4:4. Many will profess they see the evil fruits of their organization (pride, lust, revelry, fornication, witchcraft, anger/rage, selfishness, covetousness, hazing) but they believe God wants them to stay to be a witness to their fellow members and they try to use scripture to justify this like the story of Daniel who was a slave in Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom. They miss the point that Daniel was not there by choice, he was a slave. People join Greek/Masonic organizations of their own freewill. Christians are called to a life of complete obedience to the Kingdom of God, to be holy, separate, to expose the works of evil but not make friends with it. The bible warns about colluding with the world, worshiping the things of this world and people, and participating in the sins of those who don't know God. Christians who are walking in the light are to not even eat with another believer who deliberately continues to live in sin, "But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner-not even eat with such a person." 1 Corinthians 5:11 and " Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord's table and the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?" 1 Corinthians 10:20-22.

These are points 4 thru 6 of 10.

If anyone is interested in more information please click on this link:

https://www.outfromamongthem.com/

1. Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is real, He lived and died and rose from the grave. (Romans 10:9-10)

2. Believe that you are a sinner, repent-turn from your sins and realize and accept you need Jesus. (Mark 1:15, Matthew 4:17, Acts 3:19)

3. Confess with your mouth that Jesus is your Lord and God. (Romans 10:9)

4. Find a local Bible preaching church that does obey the commandment for water baptism for the remission of your sins and to identify yourself with Christ. (Acts 16:31)

This is just the first step to a lifelong journey of growing in truth and love with the God who created this earth and everything in it, including every human being that has ever lived.

What is true worship to God and what is not- Greek/Freemason Rebuttal PART 1

"I worship God through my membership in my organization" is a common statement heard from members of Greek/Freemason organizations when told their organization is one of Satan's evil attempts to deceive people. Is it true? Can a Christian claim they are worshiping the true God, Jehovah by the activities they partake in through their fraternity/sorority? What does the word of God say? What does it mean to "worship? These questions will addressed in this post and those who have an ear to hear will hear from God the truth. Because this is a complex topic, this post will be broken down into four posts. This is post 1.

First, what does it mean to worship in practical terms. Merriam defines worship as "to honor or reverence as divine being or supernatural power" or "two regard with great or extravagant respect, honor, or devotion".

John Piper (2016) gives this statement about worship of God, " The inner essence of worship is to know God truly and then respond from the heart to that knowledge by valuing God, treasuring God, praising God, enjoying God, being satisfied with God above all earthly things. And then that deep, restful, joyful satisfaction in God overflows in demonstrable acts of praise from the lips and demonstrable acts of love in serving others for the sake of Christ." (emphasis added)

Delesslyn Kennebrew (2012) wrote, "Worship is to honor with extravagant love and extreme submission(Webster's Dictionary,1828). True worship, in other words, is defined by the priority we place on who God is in our lives and where God is on our list of priorities. True worship is a matter of the heart expressed through a lifestyle of holiness." (emphasis added).

Giving sacrifices is a form of worship. In the Bible worship is defined in these scriptures:

Hebrews 13:15 "Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name."

Romans 12:1-2 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

Many who profess to be Christians and defend staying a member of their Greek/Masonic organization claim they are not idol worshiping, but again, we have look at what it means to 'worship'.

Point 1. Life and Death are in the Tongue

Throughout the word of God it is clear God expects His followers to praise Him and a common form or praise is in singing songs. "Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! For God is the King of all the earth; Sing praises with understanding" Psalm 47:6-7.
Most of every church has a music ministry. What are those songs supposed to be about? Do choirs sing about the specific church denomination? Do they sing about the accomplishments of the church? No, for the most part, many sing praises to God/Jesus, songs about His grace, mercy, love, songs of thanksgiving.

When Greeks and Masons sing songs who are they praising? Who do they proclaim when it comes to their "good works"? Who gets the credit for their "good works"? Most if not all Greeks/Freemason have songs/chants that are proclamation of the 'greatness' of their organization and its members.

Here are a few examples of some the songs sung by these Greek/Masonic organizations:

Delta Beta Hymn Alpha Kappa Alpha
Delta Sigma Theta, how we love thy name I think I shall never know
And they blessed Sisterhood another love that thrills me so
Thru the coming years may we bring thee fame Dwells in my heart by night, by day
And ne'er forget the things for which you stood. as does my love for A.K.A.

Freemason Phi Beta Sigma
May freedom, harmony, and love Phi Beta Sigma sings in part of "Oh Sigma
Cement you in the grand design; Dear"...we raise our hearts in song, we
Beneath the Omniscient Eye above, pledge our loyalty...Phi beta is the life.
The glorious Architect divine

Point 2. God loves a cheerful Giver

Another form of worship is giving, being generous. Now, I understand that today, many churches today are nothing more than Satan's playgrounds where the money given is to just support the pastor's lifestyle, but for churches that are not ruled by Satan, the members give up their earnings for the furthering of God's kingdom. The money, time, resources are used to preach the gospel, tend to orphans, widows, help those in and out of the body who have various problems.

Where does all the money, time, resources go from members in Greek/Masonic organizations? Is it to spread the gospel? It is true some of them feed the homeless, have programs to help children, widows, but again who gets the credit for these activities? I know for a fact that many of the so called "good works" are nothing more than activities to promote humanistic activities to cater to the elite. One example, a chapter I was in holds a yearly scholarship pageant. What would be the result of all the activities to support this pageant, did we give out much money in scholarships? No, literally the event itself would cost near $100,000 dollars but we would only end up giving out about 17% of that in scholarships, all the rest went towards the event itself in expensive hotels/decorations/etc.

Point 3. Heart Ownership

The greatest commandment Matthew 22:37, "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind."For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" and "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" Matthew 6:21. EVERY one of these Greek/Freemason have some song, chant, oath about their heart belonging the the organization. What do members of these organizations treasure? Many profess to treasure their organization, their songs and chants talk about their heart,mind, everything being given to the organization and they believe this is not worship?
These organizations demand that a persons's heart and loyalty belong to the organization. Followers of God are to above all else, guard our hearts with all diligence for out of them spring the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23).

These are points 1 thru 3 of 10. If anyone is interested in more information please click on this link:

https://www.outfromamongthem.com/

1. Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is real, He lived and died and rose from the grave. (Romans 10:9-10)

2. Believe that you are a sinner, repent-turn from your sins and realize and accept you need Jesus. (Mark 1:15, Matthew 4:17, Acts 3:19)

3. Confess with your mouth that Jesus is your Lord and God. (Romans 10:9)

4. Find a local Bible preaching church that does obey the commandment for water baptism for the remission of your sins and to identify yourself with Christ. (Acts 16:31)

This is just the first step to a lifelong journey of growing in truth and love with the God who created this earth and everything in it, including every human being that has ever lived.