Freemasonry: Christian or Occult?

By Pastor Michael Frisbee

Though Freemasonry is not considered by many as a subject or a part of the paranormal, there are many aspects of Freemasonry that falls into special rituals, oaths, and such that fall into a quasi-religious aspect, and I will outline, have a pagan and non-Christian origin.  As always, I know I will be stepping on a lot of toes here, but considering the dangers for Christian and my mission to shine the light of God’s Truth, I feel that I must tackle this age old subject.

There is a great deal out there regarding Freemasonry.  For those who only have a passing awareness of this organization, here is a description:

Freemasonry is a fraternal organization that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge of Scotland and Grand Lodge of Ireland, over a quarter of a million under the jurisdiction of the United Grand Lodge of England and just under two million in the United States.

The fraternity is administratively organized into independent Grand Lodges or sometimes Orients, each of which governs its own jurisdiction, which consists of subordinate (or constituent) Lodges. The various Grand Lodges recognize each other, or not, based upon adherence to landmarks (a Grand Lodge will usually deem other Grand Lodges who share common landmarks to be regular, and those that do not to be "irregular" or "clandestine").

There are also appendant bodies, which are organizations related to the main branch of Freemasonry, but with their own independent administration.

Source – Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemasonry

The most basic unit is your local “Masonic Lodge”.  Members join and begin as initiates known as an Entered Apprentice.  The member then works through the various rituals and requirements to attain the 2nd degree, titled Fellow Craft.  Then upon completing the various goals for advancement, becomes a Master Mason.  This comprises what is called the Blue Lodge Masonry.  Once completing the three degrees of the Blue Lodge, a mason is then allowed to go into either the Scottish rite of Freemasonry which has 32 degrees or the York rite which has 13 degrees. These are advanced degrees, where you pay more dues, and expect to learn (and don't) the secrets of Freemasonry. As one progresses through the degree work of these rites, they tell you that you are on a quest to find the lost name of God.

The most disturbing part of Freemasonry is the large number of Christians that have come under sway and membership of this organization.  They are drawn by the alleged networking of fellow businessmen, of the community work being done, etc.  Back in 1993, the Southern Baptist Convention took notice of this, formed an investigative commission, and it created a report that was one of the most in-depth.  There were eight areas of concern the commission identified as being “contrary to Christian belief.”

1. Freemasonry uses offensive, non-biblical, and blasphemous terms relating to God.
2. Freemasonry insists on the use of “bloody oaths” or obligations, which are strictly forbidden by the Bible (Matt.5:34-37).
3. Freemasonry urges that occultic and/or pagan readings be used, and that their teachings be appropriated in interpreting such concepts as the Trinity.
4. Freemasonry includes the Bible as part of the “furniture of the lodge,” but only as an equal with non-Christian symbols and writings.
5. Freemasonry misuses the term “light” to refer to moral “reformation” as a means to salvation.
6. Freemasonry teaches that salvation may be attained by “good works” and not through faith in Christ alone.
7. Freemasonry advocates in many of its writings the non-biblical teachings of universalism.
8. In some of its lodges, Freemasonry discriminates against nonwhites.

Source - Annual of the Southern Baptist Convention, 1993

Under the Scottish Rite, once you achieve the 33rd Degree, you can now join additional advancement organizations, such as the Shriners.  We all recognize them, Red Fezzes, funny little cars at the parades, they have a front of doing great works in the community, much leaning towards charity work for children.

What many ignore is the very symbolism of what they proudly display.  The fez itsef is an affront to Christianity.  So named after the city of Fez, Morocco…which by the way has been the site of numerous documented massacres of both Jews and Christians by various Muslim conquerors. The Fez is a distinctly Muslim symbol and, at least indirectly, celebrates the Muslim conquest of the area.

The emblem found on the fez is that of Muslim origin. It contains the Arabic pagan god symbols of the Crescent Moon and Star, originally the symbol of the Ottomon Empire, now an international symbol of Islam. The symbols are hung under a "scimitar" or an Arabic sword of war. This is the sword that has killed the "infidels" down through the ages under Muslim conquest.  

The Shriner meets in a "temple" most of which have distinctly Arabic names. They are often built to resemble a Mosque. He wears his fez with the Muslim symbols on it. He takes his oaths and says his prayers in the name of ALLAH. Many of his secret passwords and code phrases are in Arabic, which he is required to memorize in order to be in the "order".

Candidates for induction into the Shriners are greeted by a High Priest, who says: “By the existence of Allah and the creed of Mohammed; by the legendary sanctity of our Tabernacle at Mecca, we greet you.”  The inductees then swear on the Bible and the Koran, in the name of Mohammed, and invoke Masonry's usual gruesome penalties upon themselves:

“I do hereby, upon this Bible, and on the mysterious legend of the Koran, and its dedication to the Mohammedan faith, promise and swear and vow that I will never reveal any secret part or portion whatsoever of the ceremonies and now upon this sacred book, by the sincerity of a Moslem's oath I here register this irrevocable vow in willful violation whereof may I incur the fearful penalty of having my eyeballs pierced to the center with a three-edged blade, my feet flayed and I be forced to walk the hot sands upon the sterile shores of the Red Sea until the flaming sun shall strike me with livid plague, and may Allah, the god of Arab, Moslem and Mohammedan, the god of our fathers, support me to the entire fulfillment of the same. Amen. Amen. Amen."

Source - Excerpt from The Origins and Influence of Masonry by Lee Penn, SCP Journal Vol. 25:2-25:3 2001

With this oath, Christians swear on the Koran, and declare Allah to be the god of our fathers. From the perspective of Christianity and Islam alike, Shriners take the name of God in vain, and mock both faiths.  I know many Shriners will deny this, but many who have left and re-committed their lives to Christ have shared this truth.

2012 And New Age Hysteria

By Pastor Michael Frisbee

Now that 2011 has closed out and 2012 has begun, a new countdown begins for a whole lot of paranoid people caught up in Doomsday hysteria (again) leading to the latest chosen date for the end of all things. It amazes me how reasonable people (allegedly) can over and over fall for these false prophecies. They will even shout you down for being ignorant and closed minded, yet will shut their minds to God’s Word, God’s truth, God’s Own Prophecy.

This coming year, more specifically December 21st of 2012, is the target date for our sensitive New Agers. From (non) Mayan Prophecy, renewed Planet X interest, alignment of the planets with the galaxy core, etc to even a spiritual rebirth thanks to the Pleiadians, alien spiritual guardians from afar, there are a number of predictions which none has any scientific evidence or bearing to support them. There are conspiracies abound that even fall across political lines, people who are creating survival shelters, hoarding supplies, food, weapons to survive doomsday December 2012.

If you are having déjà-vu, you aren’t going crazy. There have been doomsayers for a few millennia. More recently, there was that whole Y2K deal. I worked in the Information Technology field then, and tried to calm my clients nerves that the power grids were not going to implode, their computers were not going to melt down, that society was not going to fall apart and have to revert to counting on their hands and in their heads. It was pretty much a waste of breath since the media was flooded with fear inducing hysteria pieces. Then on January 1, 12:00:01 am 2000…….NOTHING HAPPENED. Just a lot of people feeling like idiots.

Then there was the whole Planet X prophecy in 2003 – sputtered into non existence, but getting a good resurgence in 2012. It’s amazing how incredibly high the level of failure these prophecies by psychics, mediums, New Age shamans, and so forth have regarding prophecies. Even with 9/11, a perfect opportunity for psychics, mediums, New Age shamans and other sensitive’s to show their capabilities, not one prophecy announced or shared BEFORE the event, but plenty claiming to have given one AFTER the event. The end of times for 2012 will prove out to be just as much as a fizzled failure, and doomsayers will have to find another date to go frantic over, or maybe they will finally turn to the one true source of prophecy that NEVER fails.

The other side of all this is the farce and demonic doctrine of the Pleiadians. The whole scam began with Billy Meier in the 70’s claiming he was contacted and appointed by them as their earthly ambassador to introduce them to mankind. They were essentially visitors from another galaxy, and have been involved in our development going back almost 225,000 years. As the whole hoax broke down, the spiritualists of the New Age picked up the storyline and suddenly spirit Channelers, mediums, and such began to layout how they were truly spiritual guardians of humanity. They talk of a spiritual evolving of mankind coming in December 2012 rather than a world ending destruction. They even have the gall, which reveals the true demonic nature of their teachings, that Jesus Christ was a Pleiadian spiritual leader that stayed behind to help us evolve.

I’ll be delving even deeper into the whole Pleiadian scheme January 13th, with a radio show featuring Dr Fred DeRuva, an expert on the Pleiadian fraud, which will air January 14th on The Paranormal Christian, www.theparanormalchristian.com .

As for an astronomic ending to our world, there are no scientific findings or data that supports the alignment of our planets with the galactic core. There are no findings of deep space large objects hurtling at earth, nothing of an extraterrestrial origin that can bring an end to us in 2012.

There is only one source of prophecy we need concern ourselves with and that is the Bible. The second coming of Jesus Christ is approaching closer and closer. When you take all the prophecies in the Bible, the only ones that never materialized are the ones yet to come. Many of the signs of the second coming have come to pass. Many others are yet to happen. There is no date set in the Bible for when that time will come. No man will ever know, and certainly no demon will either. Only God knows what is in His mind and what His plan is for humanity. But as a born again Christian – I need not worry. For as long as I am in Him, and He in me, whether I die in some prophesied doomsday, get run over by a train, or have some stupid home bound accident that takes my life I am not the least bit concerned for I know my ultimate destination – Heaven.

It is only through accepting Jesus Christ can one enter into Heaven. You have to confess your sins to Him, rebuke your sinful ways and sinful life, and ask to be forgiven and be washed and sanctified in His sacrificed blood. He died for you, so you can enter Heaven upon your death. When you are re-born in Christ – death is no longer something to fear. You can set aside silly man made prophecies and doomsday scenarios. You can see with clear and open eyes the fraud of the occult and New Age, and recognize the doctrines of the demonic and how they deceive the non believer into following it to their spiritual and eventually physical death.

I invite you to make a New Years Eve resolution that you can easily keep, and will provide you life eternal and salvation from a wicked world. If you are a non believer, if you are a lost soul caught up in the world and the occult, I invite you to rebuke all of that. I encourage you to lay aside your ego and pride, and to accept the freely given, and greatly paid for, gift of salvation. I invite you to become a disciple of Jesus Christ.

It’s not an easy thing by any means. It’s easy to accept the gift, but it is hard to walk the path, to live your life as a Christian. It takes sacrifice, but none more than what Jesus sacrificed for us. It can lead to rejection, even by your dearest friends and family.

Do you have the guts, the courage, the commitment to walk as Christ walked? If you want to begin 2012 on the right path, if you want to walk into 2012 not fearing anything in death, then I invite you to contact me through my church ministry, www.LibertyGospelMinistries.com . I’ll speak with you and help you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior.

If you want a truly PARANORMAL and SUPERNATURAL experience – you can’t find one more intense than feeling the Holy Spirit filling you up and anointing you as a born again believer of Jesus Christ.

Biblical Truth Regarding Reincarnation

By Pastor Michael Frisbee

The latest Pew Forum survey of religious beliefs puts the overall percentage of Americans who believe in reincarnation at 24% (men 21%, women 28%).  Strangely enough, Blacks (34%) are almost twice as likely to believe in reincarnation as Whites (21%), with Hispanics in the middle (29%).

Oddly enough, a full 11% of self-identified Evangelical Christians believe in reincarnation, although only 5% of those who attend church weekly.  Black Christians (29%) believe in reincarnation only slightly more than White Catholics (25%). Even among weekly attendees, 21% of White Catholics believe in reincarnation.

Such high percentages stand as a testimony to the poor job of religious education being performed in the churches today. The spread of these beliefs is one of the most under-reported and unnoticed religious phenomenon of the last 100 years, representing a sea change of religious worldviews.

The word "reincarnation" literally means to "come again in the flesh." The process of reincarnation - continual rebirths in human bodies - allegedly continues until the soul has reached a state of perfection and merges back with its source.  One's lot in life, according to those who believe in reincarnation, is based on the law of karma. This law says that if bad things happen in one's life, this is an outworking of bad karma. If good things happen in one's life, this is an outworking of good karma.

"Karma" refers to the "debt" a soul accumulates because of good or bad actions committed during one's life (or past lives). If one accumulates good karma by performing good actions, he or she will be reincarnated in a desirable state. If one accumulates bad karma, he or she will be reincarnated in a less desirable state.

Some people twist the Scriptures and say that Jesus Himself taught reincarnation or "cyclical rebirth." In Matthew 11:14, for example, Jesus said, "And if you are willing to accept it, [John the Baptist] is the Elijah who was to come." Likewise, in John 3:3 Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

But these passages, rightly interpreted, do not support reincarnation. Matthew 11:14 does not really teach that John the Baptist was a reincarnation of Elijah. Luke 1:17, an important cross reference, tells us that the ministry of John the Baptist was carried out "in the spirit and power of Elijah." Moreover, reincarnationists conveniently forget that John the Baptist, when asked if he was Elijah, flatly answered, "No!" (John 1:21).

Regarding Jesus' words about being "born again" in John 3:3, the context clearly shows that Jesus was referring to a spiritual rebirth or regeneration. In fact, the phrase born again carries the idea of "born from above," and can even be translated that way. Jesus clarified His meaning by affirming that "flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit" (v. 6).

There are other Scriptures that clearly debunk the notion of reincarnation. Hebrews 9:27 tells us that "man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment...." Each human being lives once as a mortal on earth, dies once, and then faces judgment. He does not have a second chance by reincarnating into another body. Second Corinthians 5:8 indicates that at death the Christian immediately goes into the presence of the Lord, not into another body. Luke 16:19-31 indicates that unbelievers at death go to a place of suffering, not into another body.

We must also remember that Jesus taught that people decide their eternal destiny in a single lifetime (Matthew 25:46). This is precisely why the apostle Paul emphasized that "now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Further, Jesus taught the concept of resurrection, not reincarnation. In fact, He predicted His own resurrection early in His public ministry (John 2:19). And after Jesus resurrected from the dead, He appeared to some disciples and said, "Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have" (Luke 24:39). Jesus resurrected in the same body that went into the tomb. His body even retained the scars and wounds in His hands, feet, and side from the crucifixion (John 20:28).

In addition to biblically refuting reincarnation, we must also point to some of the practical problems involved in the theory of reincarnation. For example, we must ask, Why does one get punished for something he or she cannot remember having done in a previous life? Moreover, if the purpose of karma is to rid humanity of its selfish desires, then why has there not been a noticeable improvement in human nature after all the millennia of reincarnations on earth?

What about those who ‘remember’ their past lives so vividly? I cannot speak against their experiences. All I can tell you is either they’re being deceived by a demon or is deceiving the gullible public. Even if they indeed remember their past lives, why can’t they have an empirical evidence to prove that they indeed lived a previous lives. Why can’t they tell us and, describe for us how it is to live as an insect or animal. Or why not bring something from the so-called, past life, let say, a necklace, clothes, perhaps a birth certificate that will proved and convince the skeptics?

India, the cradle of reincarnation, still one of the world’s woeful nations.  According to a friend of mine (who loves to travel to India) who has been to India several times, told me that countless of city streets are awash with filth. Starving beggars were everywhere. Miseries abound to those who don’t have a meal in their stomach. The only fortunate were the rats, and cows who in turn ate their fill. The question that comes to my mind is, after thousands of years of reincarnation, isn’t it only fair to say that India would be the exception and a shining example of human progress and spiritual transformation?

Isn’t the theory of Karmic transmigration a cop-out from human responsibility? For instance, I always help beggars. Sometimes I offer them a meal if I get the chance. But, helping a beggar in India is futile since he is working off his Bad Karma!

Did you know that before Christian missionaries arrived in India there were no charitable institutions and hospitals? Institutions for helping the needy is considered a stumbling block for the Karmic Transmigration. The reincarnation edifice offers no hope, nor does it have any relevance in answering suffering and human depravity. In fact devotees are enslaved into believing life-death-life that doesn’t make any sense at all.

Finally, if reincarnation and the law of karma are so beneficial on a practical level, then how do they explain the immense and ever-worsening social and economic problems - including widespread poverty, starvation, disease, and horrible suffering in India, where reincarnation has been systematically taught throughout its history?

Spirit Talk

By Pastor Michael Frisbee

When one does a search of paranormal research and investigations, watch the several different ghost hunting shows on cable television, or searches for books of these same topics, the subject or ability of mediums inevitably surfaces. Without a doubt, people claiming the ability to sense the presence and communicate with the dead grows each passing day. There are para-celebrity mediums like John Edwards, Sylvia Browne, and James vanPraagh, lesser known mediums that are making a name for themselves on shows like Paranormal State, The Dead Files, etc, and then your unknown mediums, the people who claim this ability that attach themselves to Paranormal Investigative Teams.

Within this group of mediums, you have the fakes (cold and warm readers with no real ability) and those with an actual gift. The fakes, their problems lie in the deceptions that they are conducting for which they will have to atone when they pass. They will be surprised by whom they will be atoning to. The reason I mention the particular three celebrities above is because they are FAKES. They have all been tested and observed, and it has become apparent they are using these “Mentalist”-style techniques to gather information and feed it back to get a “reading”. You can do a search on Google to find the various debunking sites that lay out the facts and truth behind these para-celebrity readings. From “studio plants”, bugging a holding room for audiences, doing research and pumping production people for information before readings, to mind-play tricks, all of them have been found to be fakes, yet millions seeking answers from beyond continually suspend their beliefs and logical thinking to accept these frauds and their fake abilities as the real deal.

Now, there are mediums out there that are connecting with the spiritual world, but unfortunately, it is not our dead relatives or the previous residents of a house that have passed into the spiritual realm. In my first blog and on my first radio show for “The Paranormal Christian”, I presented scriptures that proved that when we die, we receive our judgment from God immediately, and move on to the reward (Heaven), or punishment (Hell). In last week’s blog presented by Reverend Mark Hunneman, my co-host on the radio show and author of “Seeing Ghosts Through God’s Eyes” (www.seeingghoststhroughgodseyes.com), explained quite well how the concept of Purgatory, held by the Catholic Church and getting integrated by many people’s beliefs to explain why human ghosts would be here on earth for us to get evidence of, is not supported by the Scriptures. On the show that followed this past Saturday, I presented listeners with even more information, from the Catholic Church’s own history, which they have not always held the belief of Purgatory and that it was not presented until 593 AD by Gregory the Great. In fact, there was no Pope until after Gregory the Great. Here’s a link to give you a full run down on the changes to doctrine and dogma through the past two millennia by the Church that “never changes”. There is corresponding scripture as to why it goes against God’s Word. http://bit.ly/uymGpg .

The Bible is quite clear about contacting the dead (Using New American Standard Bible).

Deuternonomy 18:10-12 - There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD; and because of these detestable things the LORD your God will drive them out before you.

Isaiah 8:19-20 - When they say to you, “Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter,” should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.

Those are just a couple of scriptures related to this topic specifically. So there is a great danger for those who practice and serve as mediums. That danger is very apparent when you add in the fact that there are no human ghosts here on earth for them to communicate with. So what are they connecting with?

Ephesians 6:10-12 - Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Satan is the ruler of the dark spiritual forces of this earth, of the rulers, the powers. This encompasses the demonic, the fallen angels that rose up against God with Lucifer (Satan) that are now demons that prowl all around us, seeking to destroy us.

1 Peter 5:8-9 - Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.

So when mediums – truly “gifted” mediums – connect with a spirit, they are connecting with the demonic, whether they are doing it knowingly or not. Demons are fallen angels, so they can appear as “beings of light”, and they have witnessed the life of every human being that has and is living on this planet. They can present themselves as these people, with all the knowledge of their lives, and even their “secrets”. This also applies to spirit guides, guardian angels, etc. True angels, they work unseen in our lives, at the command of God and His Son, Jesus Christ. They do not communicate directly with us, for that goes against scripture. Demons do it because they are in rebellion, and seek to separate us from God and God’s Word.

There is only one spirit we will, as Christians, ever have direct communication from, and that is the Holy Spirit, which is of God. When we are born again in Christ and our sins washed clean by His precious Blood, we now have a direct line spiritually through Christ and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us those gut feelings when we come witness something not of God’s Word, or we come across doctrines and activities that are not of God. There are gifts of the Holy Spirit found in 1 Corinthians 12 – you can look up that one ;)

When dealing with the spiritual realm, be sure to test the spirits. If it doesn’t glorify God and His Word, or align with it, then you can be assured, you are dealing with the demonic.

Deceptive Doctrines of the Occult

By Pastor Michael Frisbee

Over the last 30 years, the Occult has been injecting itself and its deceptive doctrines into the paranormal field, spiritual warfare and demonology. This presents a dangerous situation for people seeking information and education as a demonologist or paranormal investigator. Considering it is the spiritual that is being sought and hunted, one would think that people would give higher credence to the one true source of the spiritual, our Heavenly Father.

Unfortunately, they do not. The Bible is given almost no consideration, the only true source of knowledge that directly relates to the spiritual. It teaches us of the spiritual war all around us (Ephesians 6:10-20), it teaches us of the gifts of the Holy Spirit to be used in this battle (1 Corinthians 12:1-11). It speaks in volumes of Jesus Christ’s ministry in the Gospels and Epistles of the Bible, outlining the spiritual ministry He presented.

Investigating to Reveal The Truth – But Are We?

By Pastor Michael Frisbee

Many who saw the name of my blog, “The Paranormal Christian” probably had a passing thought, “Isn’t that an oxymoron?”  Well, only if you have erringly come to the belief that God has nothing to do with what is really out there.  To make that error, opens you up to all kinds of nastiness that truly does exist, waiting to get access to you, entrap you, attach itself to you.

I came to accept Jesus Christ in 1982, after spending four years in a downward spiral of witchcraft leaning into Satanism.  I was delivered up from this, and received a miracle healing by the grace and power of our Lord.  I spent the next seven years battling demonic forces and those I was associated with in my practice of witchcraft, seeking to tear me down, or destroy me.  I literally had to become a demonologist in order to fight and survive.