Snippet
I walked through the neatly laid stones, each row like another line in a massive book. My eyes strained to take in all of the information—name, age, rank, country—and perhaps also death itself, the fragility of life, the harsh reality of war. In that field of graves, a war memorial for men lost as prisoners of war, slaves laboring to construct the Burma-Siam railway, I felt as the psalmist: "laid low in the dust." Or like Job sitting among the dust and ashes of a great tragedy. Then one stone stopped my wandering and said what I could not. On an epitaph in the middle of the cemetery was written: "There shall be in that great earth, a richer dust concealed."(1)
It is helpful, I think, to be reminded that we are dust. It is crucial to take this reminder with us as we move through life—through successes, disappointments, surprises, distractions, tragedy. For Christians, it is also a truth to help us approach the vast and terrible events of Holy Week. The season of Lent, the forty days in which the church prepares to encounter the events of Easter, thankfully begins with the ashes of Ash Wednesday. On this day, foreheads are marked with a bold and ashen cross of dust, recalling both our history and our future, invoking repentance, inciting stares. Marked with the Cross, we are Christ's own: pilgrims on a journey that proclaims death and resurrection all at once. The journey through Lent into the light and darkness of Holy Week is for those made in dust who will return to dust, those willing to trace the breath that began all of life to the place where Christ breathed his last. It is a journey that expends everything within us.
Jill Carattini is managing editor of A Slice of Infinity at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia. Journey of Dust Wednesday, March 09, 2011 (1) This is a line from a poem of Rupert Brookes entitled "1914."
Scripture
for dominion belongs to the LORD
and he rules over the nations.
All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
those who cannot keep themselves alive.
Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.
Psalms 22:28-30 NIV
Song
Dust In The Wind
KANSAS
I close my eyes
Only for a moment and the moment's gone
All my dreams
Pass before my eyes a curiosity
Dust in the wind
All they are is dust in the wind
Same old song
Just a drop of water in an endless sea
All we do
Crumbles to the ground though we refuse to see
Dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind
Now don't hang on
Nothing lasts forever but the Earth and Sky
It slips away
And all your money won't another minute buy
Dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind
Dust in the wind
Everything is dust in the wind
Everything is dust in the wind
Sentence Prayer
Father;
Your are the only eternal one, it will be your purpose that prevails.
May I take myself about as seriously as a speck of dust dancing in the sunlight.
Help me be serious about being a child of God that playfully seeks my role in your purposes.
Amen Roger Miller
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Is Christian Doctrine compatible With Masonic Lodge Teaching?
This question recently came into my world and would appreciate any feedback you may
have? This is an excerpt from a sermon by MacArthurTrue Worship, Part 3
John 4:20-24 January 10, 1982.
Now I thought about it this week, as to how I could illustrate to you unacceptable worship. And there are many illustrations that I could use but I ... I chose this one because I think it's important to the issue today.
In 1717 there was a group that began, for all intents and purposes, known as the Masonic Lodge, or the Masons. While they do not wish to be known as a religion they are, in fact, by definition clearly a religion. And they are, I think, a classic illustration of unacceptable worship.
The Iowa Quarterly Bulletin, way back in April of 1917, says this (and this is their own publication), quote: "Masonry is a Divinely appointed institution, designed to draw men nearer to God, to give them a clearer conception of their proper relationship to God as their Heavenly Father, to men as their brethren and the ultimate destiny of the human soul," end quote.
Now that is a religion. Anything that says it's a divinely appointed institution, designed to draw men nearer to God, to give them a clear conception of their proper relationship to God, to men and the ultimate destiny of their human soul—that's a religion. Masonry is a religion even though they don't want to admit it.
Now, do they worship God? They say they do. They say they worship God, they say they worship the true God in the true form, in the true manner, and with a true attitude.
Albert Pike, who has been called by fellow Masons one of the most distinguished Masons the Western World has ever produced, has written one of their very important books called Morals and Dogmas. It's so important that it appears in their edition of the Bible. They have their own Bible known as the Hertel's Bible. And this is what he has written: "Masonry reverences all the great reformers. It sees in Moses, the Lawgiver of the Jews, in Confucius and Zoraster, in Jesus of Nazareth, and in the Arabian Iconoclast, great teachers of morality, and eminent reformers, if no more, and allows every brother of the Order to assign to each such higher and even Divine Character as his Creed and Truth require. We do not undervalue the importance of any Truth. We utter no word that can be deemed irreverent by anyone of any faith. We do not tell the Moslem that it is only important for him to believe that there is but one God, and wholly unessential whether Mahomet was His prophet. We do not tell the Hebrew that the Messiah whom he expects was born in Bethlehem nearly two thousand years ago; and he is a heretic because he will not so believe. And as little do we tell the sincere Christian that Jesus of Nazareth was but a man like us, or His history but the unreal revival of an older legend. To do either is beyond our jurisdiction. Masonry, of no one age, belongs to all time; of no one religion, it finds its great truths in all. To every Mason, there is a God; One Supreme, Infinite in Goodness, Wisdom, Foresight, Justice, and Benevolence; Creator, Disposer, and Preserver of all things. How, or by what intermediates He creates and acts, and in what way He unfolds and manifests Himself, Masonry leaves to creeds and religions to inquire," end quote.
In other words, they say they believe in God but you can decide who He is, what He wants, and how to get to Him. And then they claim all these secret words and they are told that when they come into Masonry they're not allowed to speak certain words. And if you've known a Mason you may have known the fact that he would not reveal those words but I would like to reveal them this morning.
The most sacred word that is given to the Master Mason when he stands at the...what they call the "five points of fellowship," he stands with the one who is initiating him into the Master's class, stands toe to toe, knee to knee, chest to chest, cheek to cheek, and mouth to ear, and is whispered into his ear, “Mah-Hah-Bone.” And that sacred word is supposed to be the name of God.
In a different order of the Masons they have another word, the Knight's Templar, it is the word "Jah Bul On." And they say it is the Divine Trinity—Jah, from Jehovah; Bul, from Baal; and On, from the name of the Egyptian sun god.
Pike in his Morals and Dogmas further says, "To achieve salvation the Mason must first attain a solid conviction founded upon reason, that he has within himself a spiritual nature, a soul that is not to die when the body is dissolved, but is to continue to exist and advance toward perfection through all the ages of eternity, and to see more and more clearly, as it draws nearer unto God, the light of the Divine Presence," end quote.
That's hocus pocus meaning nothing, frankly. In the Mason's Bible it says: "In the opening of the lodge, the Great Architect of the Universe must be worshipped." That's what they say. The Great Architect of the Universe must be worshipped.
And then Pike says: "At the Masonic altar, the Christian, the Hebrew, the Moslem, the Brahmin, and the followers of Confucius and Zoroaster, can assemble as brethren and unite in prayer to the one God. The chaplain of the Masonic Lodge who prays as the voice of the lodge, does not pray in the name of the Carpenter of Nazareth or the name of Jehovah or the name of Allah. He prays to the Grand Artificer or the Great Architect of the Universe. Under that title men of all faiths may find each other his own deity. Failure to mention any deity by name is not denial but merely the practice of a gracious courtesy, so that each man for whom prayer is offered can hear the name of his own deity in the all inclusive title of Great Architect," end quote.
Well, I think you understand, that's enough…that's enough, frankly, to sicken anyone because that's a Satanic false religion. It says, “Yes, we believe in the true God,” but it reduces Him to a wrong form. It worships Him in a wrong manner and with a wrong heart attitude. It is unacceptable. And there are myriads of such unacceptable kinds of worship. And destiny is determined by that. You may think you're worshipping God, but you're not
have? This is an excerpt from a sermon by MacArthurTrue Worship, Part 3
John 4:20-24 January 10, 1982.
Now I thought about it this week, as to how I could illustrate to you unacceptable worship. And there are many illustrations that I could use but I ... I chose this one because I think it's important to the issue today.
In 1717 there was a group that began, for all intents and purposes, known as the Masonic Lodge, or the Masons. While they do not wish to be known as a religion they are, in fact, by definition clearly a religion. And they are, I think, a classic illustration of unacceptable worship.
The Iowa Quarterly Bulletin, way back in April of 1917, says this (and this is their own publication), quote: "Masonry is a Divinely appointed institution, designed to draw men nearer to God, to give them a clearer conception of their proper relationship to God as their Heavenly Father, to men as their brethren and the ultimate destiny of the human soul," end quote.
Now that is a religion. Anything that says it's a divinely appointed institution, designed to draw men nearer to God, to give them a clear conception of their proper relationship to God, to men and the ultimate destiny of their human soul—that's a religion. Masonry is a religion even though they don't want to admit it.
Now, do they worship God? They say they do. They say they worship God, they say they worship the true God in the true form, in the true manner, and with a true attitude.
Albert Pike, who has been called by fellow Masons one of the most distinguished Masons the Western World has ever produced, has written one of their very important books called Morals and Dogmas. It's so important that it appears in their edition of the Bible. They have their own Bible known as the Hertel's Bible. And this is what he has written: "Masonry reverences all the great reformers. It sees in Moses, the Lawgiver of the Jews, in Confucius and Zoraster, in Jesus of Nazareth, and in the Arabian Iconoclast, great teachers of morality, and eminent reformers, if no more, and allows every brother of the Order to assign to each such higher and even Divine Character as his Creed and Truth require. We do not undervalue the importance of any Truth. We utter no word that can be deemed irreverent by anyone of any faith. We do not tell the Moslem that it is only important for him to believe that there is but one God, and wholly unessential whether Mahomet was His prophet. We do not tell the Hebrew that the Messiah whom he expects was born in Bethlehem nearly two thousand years ago; and he is a heretic because he will not so believe. And as little do we tell the sincere Christian that Jesus of Nazareth was but a man like us, or His history but the unreal revival of an older legend. To do either is beyond our jurisdiction. Masonry, of no one age, belongs to all time; of no one religion, it finds its great truths in all. To every Mason, there is a God; One Supreme, Infinite in Goodness, Wisdom, Foresight, Justice, and Benevolence; Creator, Disposer, and Preserver of all things. How, or by what intermediates He creates and acts, and in what way He unfolds and manifests Himself, Masonry leaves to creeds and religions to inquire," end quote.
In other words, they say they believe in God but you can decide who He is, what He wants, and how to get to Him. And then they claim all these secret words and they are told that when they come into Masonry they're not allowed to speak certain words. And if you've known a Mason you may have known the fact that he would not reveal those words but I would like to reveal them this morning.
The most sacred word that is given to the Master Mason when he stands at the...what they call the "five points of fellowship," he stands with the one who is initiating him into the Master's class, stands toe to toe, knee to knee, chest to chest, cheek to cheek, and mouth to ear, and is whispered into his ear, “Mah-Hah-Bone.” And that sacred word is supposed to be the name of God.
In a different order of the Masons they have another word, the Knight's Templar, it is the word "Jah Bul On." And they say it is the Divine Trinity—Jah, from Jehovah; Bul, from Baal; and On, from the name of the Egyptian sun god.
Pike in his Morals and Dogmas further says, "To achieve salvation the Mason must first attain a solid conviction founded upon reason, that he has within himself a spiritual nature, a soul that is not to die when the body is dissolved, but is to continue to exist and advance toward perfection through all the ages of eternity, and to see more and more clearly, as it draws nearer unto God, the light of the Divine Presence," end quote.
That's hocus pocus meaning nothing, frankly. In the Mason's Bible it says: "In the opening of the lodge, the Great Architect of the Universe must be worshipped." That's what they say. The Great Architect of the Universe must be worshipped.
And then Pike says: "At the Masonic altar, the Christian, the Hebrew, the Moslem, the Brahmin, and the followers of Confucius and Zoroaster, can assemble as brethren and unite in prayer to the one God. The chaplain of the Masonic Lodge who prays as the voice of the lodge, does not pray in the name of the Carpenter of Nazareth or the name of Jehovah or the name of Allah. He prays to the Grand Artificer or the Great Architect of the Universe. Under that title men of all faiths may find each other his own deity. Failure to mention any deity by name is not denial but merely the practice of a gracious courtesy, so that each man for whom prayer is offered can hear the name of his own deity in the all inclusive title of Great Architect," end quote.
Well, I think you understand, that's enough…that's enough, frankly, to sicken anyone because that's a Satanic false religion. It says, “Yes, we believe in the true God,” but it reduces Him to a wrong form. It worships Him in a wrong manner and with a wrong heart attitude. It is unacceptable. And there are myriads of such unacceptable kinds of worship. And destiny is determined by that. You may think you're worshipping God, but you're not
Monday, March 7, 2011
WILDERNESS
SNIPPET
The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to him."
Mark's record of the Spirit's compelling Jesus into the wilderness immediately following his baptism has always intrigued me. The original language is so forceful as to imply that the Spirit literally expelled Jesus into this land of wild beasts and satanic attack. It is even more striking when compared to Matthew and Luke's accounts which both suggest that Jesus was "led by the Spirit” into the wilderness.(1) Despite their gentler version, the force is still the same: the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tested—nay, tormented by the devil. Why would the Spirit compel Jesus into the land of testing?
To understand this question, we must go back to the exodus of Israel from their Egyptian oppressors. After 400 years of oppression and enslavement, God sent Moses to deliver the people and to lead them into the Promised Land. A great drama ensues between the gods of the Egyptians and the God of Israel. Ten plagues fall, the Red Sea is parted, and the Egyptian army is swallowed up by the raging waters. And then we read, "Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water....and the whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness" (Exodus 15:22; 16:2). Israel would spend the next forty years, the text tells us, wandering in that wilderness of lament and bitterness. A great beginning stalls in the deserts of Sinai.
Like Israel before him, Jesus's story as recorded by Mark begins with great drama. John the Baptist announces the Deliverer: Israel's exile was over, for the Messiah had come. The Deliverer is baptized by John and in front of the crowds declared the beloved Son of God. What a tremendous beginning to his earthly ministry. And yet, like Israel, Jesus begins that earthly ministry not with healings and miracles, or with fanfare and great teachings, but by being "immediately cast out into the wilderness." Jesus, many commentators have suggested, was re-enacting the great history of Israel in his own life and ministry. He was Israel's Messiah, their deliverer, just as Moses had been. Yet, like Israel, Jesus would be tested and his test had to precede entry into the Promised Land. But unlike Israel, Jesus would pass the test and his deliverance of his people would be his gift and offering to God for all eternity.
I am mindful during the days and weeks leading up to the forty days of Lent that before we can enjoy the promised land of resurrection life, we too must go through the wilderness. I do not go through a single day without hearing many stories about the wilderness spaces people dwell in through suffering, disappointment, doubt, or sin. Often, we want to rush through the wilderness to get to the other side. But maybe like Jesus, we too must travel through wilderness places. Like him, we will be compelled into that wilderness where there are deaths and deprivations. The wilderness is a place of testing trust. In the wilderness of unmet needs, what do we do? Who will we turn to? In what or in whom do we place our trust? When the Israelites faced lack of food and water, they wanted to return to the enslavement of Egypt; at least there they had food and drink. Jesus, on the other hand, took nothing with him into that desiccated place. He was hungry and enticed to turn stones into bread to meet his legitimate need. Instead, Jesus trusted solely in God's provision for his needs, in God's time and manner.
Often, we ask God "why" when we are compelled into the wilderness. We might grumble or complain in our lament, or try to hurry our way into the Promised Land by forcing our own way. Or else we might seek to return to Egypt to meet our needs in our time and through our own methods. But the journey of all Christ's followers is a journey through the wilderness towards the Cross. We cannot escape it, nor can we go around it. And yet, the wilderness, the Cross, and the ultimate resurrection of Jesus all demonstrate that no matter the wilderness we find ourselves in, God will bring us through to life on the other side. We will not be removed from the suffering of the wilderness, but with God's help we can be transformed by it.
Into the Wilderness Tuesday, March 01, 2011
Margaret Manning Printer Friendly Version
SCRIPTURE
One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him[e] like a dove. 11 And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”
The Spirit then compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness, 13 where he was tempted by Satan for forty days. He was out among the wild animals, and angels took care of him. Mark 1:9-14
SONG
Well the moon moved past Nebraska
And spilled laughter on them cold Dakota Hills
And angels danced on Jacob's stairs
Yeah, they danced on Jacob's stairs
There is this silence in the Badlands
And over Kansas the whole universe was stilled
By the whisper of a prayer
The whisper of a prayer
And the single hawk bursts into flight
And in the east the whole horizon is in flames
I feel thunder in the sky
I see the sky about to rain
And I hear the prairies calling out Your name
I can feel the earth tremble
Beneath the rumbling of the buffalo hooves
And the fury in the pheasant's wings
And there's fury in a pheasant's wings
It tells me the Lord is in His temple
And there is still a faith
That can make the mountains move
And a love that can make the heavens ring
And I've seen love make heaven ring
Where the sacred rivers meet
Beneath the shadow of the Keeper of the plains
I feel thunder in the sky
I see the sky about to rain
And I hear the prairies calling out Your name
From the place where morning gathers
You can look sometimes forever 'til you see
What time may never know
What time may never know
How the Lord takes by its corners this old world
And shakes us forward and shakes us free
To run wild with the hope
To run wild with the hope
The hope that this thirst will not last long
That it will soon drown in the song
Not sung in vain
And I feel thunder in the sky
I see the sky about to rain
And I hear the prairies calling out Your name
Rich Mullin's Calling out your Name
SENTENCE PRAYER
O; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
Lord God, you draw us by your beauty
and transform us by your holiness;
let our worship echo all creation’s praise
and declare your glory to the nations;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Morning Prayer on Saturday, 5 March 2011
http://daily.commonworship.com/daily.cgi?yesterday_mp=1
The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to him."
Mark's record of the Spirit's compelling Jesus into the wilderness immediately following his baptism has always intrigued me. The original language is so forceful as to imply that the Spirit literally expelled Jesus into this land of wild beasts and satanic attack. It is even more striking when compared to Matthew and Luke's accounts which both suggest that Jesus was "led by the Spirit” into the wilderness.(1) Despite their gentler version, the force is still the same: the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tested—nay, tormented by the devil. Why would the Spirit compel Jesus into the land of testing?
To understand this question, we must go back to the exodus of Israel from their Egyptian oppressors. After 400 years of oppression and enslavement, God sent Moses to deliver the people and to lead them into the Promised Land. A great drama ensues between the gods of the Egyptians and the God of Israel. Ten plagues fall, the Red Sea is parted, and the Egyptian army is swallowed up by the raging waters. And then we read, "Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water....and the whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness" (Exodus 15:22; 16:2). Israel would spend the next forty years, the text tells us, wandering in that wilderness of lament and bitterness. A great beginning stalls in the deserts of Sinai.
Like Israel before him, Jesus's story as recorded by Mark begins with great drama. John the Baptist announces the Deliverer: Israel's exile was over, for the Messiah had come. The Deliverer is baptized by John and in front of the crowds declared the beloved Son of God. What a tremendous beginning to his earthly ministry. And yet, like Israel, Jesus begins that earthly ministry not with healings and miracles, or with fanfare and great teachings, but by being "immediately cast out into the wilderness." Jesus, many commentators have suggested, was re-enacting the great history of Israel in his own life and ministry. He was Israel's Messiah, their deliverer, just as Moses had been. Yet, like Israel, Jesus would be tested and his test had to precede entry into the Promised Land. But unlike Israel, Jesus would pass the test and his deliverance of his people would be his gift and offering to God for all eternity.
I am mindful during the days and weeks leading up to the forty days of Lent that before we can enjoy the promised land of resurrection life, we too must go through the wilderness. I do not go through a single day without hearing many stories about the wilderness spaces people dwell in through suffering, disappointment, doubt, or sin. Often, we want to rush through the wilderness to get to the other side. But maybe like Jesus, we too must travel through wilderness places. Like him, we will be compelled into that wilderness where there are deaths and deprivations. The wilderness is a place of testing trust. In the wilderness of unmet needs, what do we do? Who will we turn to? In what or in whom do we place our trust? When the Israelites faced lack of food and water, they wanted to return to the enslavement of Egypt; at least there they had food and drink. Jesus, on the other hand, took nothing with him into that desiccated place. He was hungry and enticed to turn stones into bread to meet his legitimate need. Instead, Jesus trusted solely in God's provision for his needs, in God's time and manner.
Often, we ask God "why" when we are compelled into the wilderness. We might grumble or complain in our lament, or try to hurry our way into the Promised Land by forcing our own way. Or else we might seek to return to Egypt to meet our needs in our time and through our own methods. But the journey of all Christ's followers is a journey through the wilderness towards the Cross. We cannot escape it, nor can we go around it. And yet, the wilderness, the Cross, and the ultimate resurrection of Jesus all demonstrate that no matter the wilderness we find ourselves in, God will bring us through to life on the other side. We will not be removed from the suffering of the wilderness, but with God's help we can be transformed by it.
Into the Wilderness Tuesday, March 01, 2011
Margaret Manning Printer Friendly Version
SCRIPTURE
One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him[e] like a dove. 11 And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”
The Spirit then compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness, 13 where he was tempted by Satan for forty days. He was out among the wild animals, and angels took care of him. Mark 1:9-14
SONG
Well the moon moved past Nebraska
And spilled laughter on them cold Dakota Hills
And angels danced on Jacob's stairs
Yeah, they danced on Jacob's stairs
There is this silence in the Badlands
And over Kansas the whole universe was stilled
By the whisper of a prayer
The whisper of a prayer
And the single hawk bursts into flight
And in the east the whole horizon is in flames
I feel thunder in the sky
I see the sky about to rain
And I hear the prairies calling out Your name
I can feel the earth tremble
Beneath the rumbling of the buffalo hooves
And the fury in the pheasant's wings
And there's fury in a pheasant's wings
It tells me the Lord is in His temple
And there is still a faith
That can make the mountains move
And a love that can make the heavens ring
And I've seen love make heaven ring
Where the sacred rivers meet
Beneath the shadow of the Keeper of the plains
I feel thunder in the sky
I see the sky about to rain
And I hear the prairies calling out Your name
From the place where morning gathers
You can look sometimes forever 'til you see
What time may never know
What time may never know
How the Lord takes by its corners this old world
And shakes us forward and shakes us free
To run wild with the hope
To run wild with the hope
The hope that this thirst will not last long
That it will soon drown in the song
Not sung in vain
And I feel thunder in the sky
I see the sky about to rain
And I hear the prairies calling out Your name
Rich Mullin's Calling out your Name
SENTENCE PRAYER
O; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
Lord God, you draw us by your beauty
and transform us by your holiness;
let our worship echo all creation’s praise
and declare your glory to the nations;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Morning Prayer on Saturday, 5 March 2011
http://daily.commonworship.com/daily.cgi?yesterday_mp=1
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)