"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/ 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 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
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AuthorErica Harris is a God Gifted Christian Coach, Counselor, providing insights and truths from the Word of God, The Bible. Archives
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