Authored By :
Bill Kochman
Published On :
October 5, 2013
Last Updated :
October 5, 2013
NOTE: This article or series has not been updated recently. As such, it may possibly contain some outdated information, and/or ideas and beliefs which I no longer embrace, or which have changed to some degree.
Exposing Satan's Evil Machinations And Deceptions, Don't Let The Devil Sift And Devour You, Young Friend's Involvement In Freemasonry, God's Will Is For All Men To Be Saved, Members Of God's Family And Household Through Faith In Jesus Christ, God Desires Repentance And Wants To Heal And Save The Lost, God's Children By Adoption, Unbelievers Are Both Strangers And Foreigners To God, Bahá'í Beliefs, Catholics And World Council Of Churches Promote Ecumenism, One World Religion In Which Jesus Is Demoted From His Unique Status, Globalists' Agenda Of Global Governance, Christian Compromisers And The "Many Paths" Deception, Warnings Regarding Damnable Heresies And The Doctrines Of Devils, Washed In The Blood Of The Lamb
One important lesson I have learned over the years since I have been a Christian writer, is that when the Lord brings a particular issue to my attention, quite often it is because He wants me to write about it. This is particularly true when it concerns Satan's evil machinations and deceptions. As my longtime readers will know, quite a few of my articles are in fact exposés of the tactics which that serpent often uses against the Lord's children. If there is one thing that the Scriptures make perfectly clear, it is that the Devil is a scheming liar and deceiver who is constantly endeavoring to trip up God's servants. He is a roaring lion who "walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." As Jesus told Peter, the Devil tries to sift us like wheat. He looks for chinks in our spiritual armor so that he can weaken and destroy us. This truth becomes quite evident in verses such as the following:
"Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."
Genesis 3:1-5, KJV
"And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren."
Luke 22:31-32, KJV
"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."
John 8:44, KJV
"Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices."
2 Corinthians 2:11, KJV
"In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."
2 Corinthians 4:4, KJV
"But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ . . . And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light."
2 Corinthians 11:3, 14, KJV
"Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:"
Ephesians 2:2, KJV
"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."
Ephesians 6:10-13, KJV
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"
1 Peter 5:8, KJV
It was just such an attack which motivated me to write this current series. You see, I recently discovered that one of my young online friends has been involved in Freemasonry. I was both surprised and saddened to learn of his involvement in that so-called fraternity, because over the months he has been a help to me by serving as my second pair of eyes, and bringing to my attention typographical errors which he has discovered in my articles and series. When I first came upon his mention of the Freemasons, I was somewhat confused; and so I erroneously assumed that he was exposing them for the dangerous cult that they are. However, a closer examination of his words seemed to reveal that he was really supporting and promoting Freemasonry.
Being as I have considered him an online friend for some time now, and also because of the fact that I was troubled by what I was reading, I felt compelled to communicate with him, in the hope that I might better understand what his position was regarding the Freemasons. Because this person is a Bible-believing Christian -- and also rather young -- it was difficult for me to believe that he would actually become involved with the Freemasons.
As it turned out, my friend informed me that he is a member of a Lodge in his area. He also told me that he has reached the level of Master Mason -- or "third degree" -- which is necessary in order to participate in most of the aspects of Craft Freemasonry. As we continued our exchange, my friend also revealed to me that he views the Lodge members as his family, and that he refers to them as his brothers; although he did clarify that he does not view them as his Christian brothers. In particular, he claimed that "Freemasonry takes people of all religions and makes them fraternal brothers." I found his statement to be rather contradictory, because in the Gospels Jesus clearly states the following regarding the true nature of God's family:
"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven."
Matthew 7:21, KJV
"But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother."
Matthew 12:48-50, KJV
"For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother."
Mark 3:35, KJV
". . . This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."
John 6:29b, KJV
"And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day."
John 6:40, KJV
As I also point out in articles such as "So You Really Think You Are So Humble?", "Welcome to Greater Israel, USA!" and "Accusations of Antisemitism: My Personal Response", please notice carefully that in the previous verses Jesus tells us that those people who do the will of His Father are His and our brothers, sisters and mother. So the question is this: Exactly what is God the Father's highest will? Those verses clearly tell us that it is to believe in the Son of God, in order that we may obtain Everlasting Life. In other words, as the following verses also reveal, God's desire is to heal us, and not to destroy us. His desire is not to condemn us, but to save us. His desire is that we repent of our sins, so that we can be restored to full spiritual fellowship with Him:
"Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?"
Ezekiel 33:11, KJV
"For the Lord will not cast off for ever: But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men."
Lamentations 3:31-33, KJV
"Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish."
Matthew 18:10-14, KJV
"And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village."
Luke 9:51-56, KJV
"For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."
Luke 19:10, KJV
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."
John 3:16-17, KJV
"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
2 Peter 3:9, KJV
"And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed."
Hebrews 12:5-13, KJV
To reiterate, the previous verses clearly inform us that as Bible-believing Christians, our only real brothers are those people who recognize Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and the only Savior of the world. All others are simply unbelieving and disobedient children of the world who are in rebellion against God; at least after they come to the full knowledge of the truth and consciously choose to reject it.
Why is this point so important to our discussion? Because my friend mentioned to me that one aspect of his fraternity that he really likes is the fact that whether they are Catholics, Christians, Hindus, Jews, Mormons, Muslims, Pentecostals or any other religion, they "all get along" and "can all eat at the same table with peace, joy, and laughter." No doubt some of you who are reading this will immediately recognize the serious flaw in my friend's perspective. As I explained to my friend, while he may consider such people to be his fraternal brothers, all that God recognizes is whether or not we are His adopted children through faith in the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. If so, then we are likewise members of His household. This truth becomes apparent by verses such as the following:
"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:"
John 1:12, KJV
"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."
Romans 8:15-17, KJV
"For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus."
Galatians 3:26, KJV
"Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,"
Ephesians 1:5, KJV
"Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;"
Ephesians 2:19, KJV
In contrast, as I explain in articles such as "Not Everyone is a Child of God", if the members of my friend's fraternity reject Jesus' unique status as the only begotten Son of God and Savior of the world, then the Scriptures clearly inform us that they are "none of his". They are still strangers and foreigners in God's sight, because they have not been washed in the Blood of the Lamb. In other words, they are not the children of God, as we can determine by the following verse:
"But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."
Romans 8:9, KJV
Based on the limited information that my friend shared with me in our private exchanges, I am given the impression that similar to the Bahá'ís who promote the oneness of all of the world's religions, and the Catholics, the World Council of Churches, and a growing number of other denominations who promote ecumenism, the Freemasons appear to likewise promote a sort of One World Religion. The Wikipedia website notes the following regarding Bahá'í teachings:
----- Begin Quote -----
"The Bahá'í teachings state that there is but one religion which is progressively revealed by God, through prophets/messengers, to mankind as humanity matures and its capacity to understand also grows. The outward differences in the religions, the Bahá'í writings state, are due to the exigencies of the time and place the religion was revealed. Bahá'u'lláh claimed to be the most recent, but not the last, in a series of divine educators which include Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad, and others."
----- End Quote -----
Please take note of the deceptive poison that is woven into Bahá'í beliefs. Jesus is reduced from being the Son of God and only Savior of the world, to being just another "divine educator" on par with Buddha, Muhammad and other so-called "holy men" of the past.
As I explain in articles such as "Admiral Richard E. Byrd and the Hollow Earth Theory", "When Sin is no Longer a Sin", Roman Catholicism, Water Baptism and the Trinity", "What is Wrong With Modern America?" and "Modern False Prophets and Worldly Ecumenism", the main goal of ecumenism appears to be to create a One World Religion. Initially, the aim of the ecumenical movement was to unite the world body of Christian churches. However, their objective appears to have expanded over the decades so that now it is to teach everyone to respect the religious beliefs of others, and to eventually take the best of each religion, and to unite them into one "Super Religion" which will be embraced by all the world. Thus, they will create a One World Family which worships a One World Religion under a One World Government which will control everything through a One World Economy.
The globalists who promote this plan refer to their world vision as "global governance", and it has been on their lips for quite a few years now. These globalists -- who include many politicians, business leaders and prominent religious leaders -- are relying upon religious tolerance, political correctness and compromise in order to realize their dream of a so-called "utopian society". To our dismay, in recent years there have been a number of events where Christian and non-Christian leaders have gathered together in a display of supposed spiritual unity. What these foolish, compromising Christian leaders fail to realize is that through their sad actions, they are in fact weakening the very foundation of our Christian heritage.
Just as the Bahá'ís reduce Jesus to being just another one of their so-called "divine educators", and just as certain New Age advocates promote Jesus as one of many "Ascended Masters" -- who they refer to as "Sananda" -- these false Christian shepherds are likewise slowly stripping Jesus of His divinity and unique status as the only begotten Son of God, the only Mediator between God and man, and the only Savior of the world. From the Roman Catholic Church, to the Reverend Billy Graham, to television celebrity and media mogul Oprah Winfrey, and no doubt others, they have each claimed that Jesus is not the only way to obtain Salvation and Eternal Life.
In their misguided quest to create spiritual unity between the various religions of the world, they have fallen for the so-called "many paths" deception, which I more amply discuss in other articles which you will find listed at the end of this series. This is a terrible tragedy, and a spiritual crisis which should not be ignored by true Bible-believing Christians. Our faith is being infiltrated by many of these false shepherds who willingly promote damnable heresies and doctrines of devils. Consider the following verses and take heed to their warnings:
"That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:"
Ephesians 4:14-15, KJV
"Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein."
Hebrews 13:9, KJV
"As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do."
1 Timothy 1:3-4, KJV
"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;"
1 Timothy 4:1, KJV
"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;"
2 Timothy 4:3, KJV
"But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction."
2 Peter 2:1, KJV
"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world."
1 John 4:1, KJV
As I mentioned earlier, anyone who refuses to recognize Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the only Savior of the world -- as most of the aforementioned religions do -- is viewed as being unclean in God's sight, because he has not been washed in the precious Blood of the Lamb. As a result, the stain of sin has not been removed from his life, his record is still dirty, and the Divine Judge will not grant him clemency. As we learned a few minutes ago, such people are strangers and foreigners to the Lord and He does not recognize them as His own. Minus the Blood of Christ, they remain lost. Please consider the following verses:
"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
Isaiah 1:18, KJV
"And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."
Matthew 26:26-28, KJV
"And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body. And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many."
Mark 14:22-24, KJV
"And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you."
Luke 22:14-20, KJV
"Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;"
Romans 3:25, KJV
"But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ."
Ephesians 2:13, KJV
"Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;"
Hebrews 10:19-20, KJV
"Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate . . . Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."
Hebrews 13:12, 20-21, KJV
"Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied."
1 Peter 1:2, KJV
"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."
1 John 1:7, KJV
"And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."
1 John 2:2, KJV
"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."
1 John 4:10, KJV
"And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,"
Revelation 1:5, KJV
"And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."
Revelation 7:14, KJV
In light of the previous information, perhaps you are better able to understand why I have become alarmed by my friend's comments. While he views it as a wonderful thing to be able to sit down at the same table with persons of other faiths and eat together "with peace, joy, and laughter", he fails to recognize that not only are his actions contrary to the Word of God, but they are dangerous to his faith as well, because they have led him to compromise to some degree. As I clearly explained to him, all of the religions and denominations that he mentioned walk in spiritual darkness to some degree. They either outright reject the Sonship and Messiahship of Jesus Christ -- as in the case of Judaism, Islam and Hinduism -- or else they embrace a number of false doctrines -- as in the case of Roman Catholicism.
Please go to part two for the continuation of this series.
⇒ Go To The Next Part . . .