The Man of God
The True Man of God
The true man of God does not manipulate. He does not rely upon slick methods. Instead, he preaches the word of God clearly and powerfully so that people's “faith will not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:5).
Over and over again the Bible warns against the danger of false teachers. Jesus said, “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15). The prophet Jeremiah warned, “The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule on their own authority; and my people love it so!” (Jeremiah 5:13). Paul said, “Evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:13).
The Apostle John said, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).
The best way to avoid being taken in by a counterfeit is to study what is genuine of your own freewill and accord.. In our day, when our Faith is desperately awash in a flood of false teachers, the Bible provides desperately needed instruction in discernment. Believers must be able to pick out the voice of Jesus and his genuine shepherds amidst the howls of Satan’s wolves. 2 Corinthians 10:7-11 reveals five marks of a true man of God.
The title is taken from Ecclesiastes 12:13, in the King James Version of the Bible: Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Starry Canopy
Under the Canopy of Heaven
This circle is bounded between North. and South by two grand parallel lines, representing the patron Saints John. On the upper part of this circle rests the Volume of the Sacred Law, supporting Jacob's ladder, and as adherent to the doctrines therein contained, as those parallels were, it would bring us to Him who would not deceive us.
Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence, and Justice, the whole of which, were constantly practiced by a great majority of our ancient Brethren. The distinguishing characteristics of a good Free Mason are Virtue, Honour, and Mercy, and should these be banished from all other societies may they ever be found in a Mason's faithful breast.
The light Will Be Brighter
When the light becomes brighter, the Holy Scriptures will begin to come alive to you with these pages filled with the very real people who were our ancestors.
The references found in the scriptures will cease to be just an ancient mark on a map in the Middle East filled with centuries of war and unrest.
You will come to understand that Abraham (Father of all the Nations in the world) begat two sons: Isaac (ancestor to the Christian and Hebrew nations) and Ishmael (ancestor to the Arab nations).
With this knowledge, your comprehension of our Creator's true meaning of "sacred brotherhood" across the nations of the world, will unfold.
Because by the doctrines contained in that Holy Book, we are taught to believe in the dispensations of Divine Providence; which belief strengthens our Faith, and enables us to ascend the first step.
This Faith naturally creates in us the first step,
a Hope of becoming partakers of the blessed promises therein recorded; which Hope enables us to ascend the second step.
But the third and last, being Charity, comprehends the whole; and the Mason who is possessed of this virtue in its most ample sense, may justly be deemed to have attained a summit of his profession;
figuratively speaking, an ethereal mansion, veiled from mortal eyes by the starry firmament, emblematically depicted in our Lodges by seven Stars, which have an allusion to as many regularly made Masons; without which number no Lodge is perfect, neither can any candidate be legally initiated into the Order.
The four cardinal virtues: Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence, and Justice.
TEMPERANCE
Is that due restraint of the passion and affections, which renders the body tame and governable, and relieves the mind from the allurements of vice. This virtue ought to be the constant practice of every Mason as he is thereby taught to avoid excess, or the contracting of any vicious or licentious habits, whereby he might, unwarily, be led to betray his trust, and subject himself the penalty contained in his Obligation.
FORTITUDE
Is that noble and steady guidance of the soul, which is equally distant from rashness and cowardice; it enables us to undergo any pain labour, danger, or difficulty, when thought necessary, or deemed prudentially expedient. This virtue, like the former ought to be deeply impressed on the breast of every Mason, as a fence and security against any attempts which might be made either by threats or violence, to extort from him any of those Masonic secrets he has so solemnly engaged himself to HELE, conceal, and never improperly reveal; the illegal revealing of which might prove a torment to his mind, as the Compasses were emblematically to his body when extended to his naked left breast at time of his Initiation.
PRUDENCE
Teaches us to regulate our lives and actions according to the dictates of reason, and is that habit of mind whereby men wisely judge, and prudentially determine, all things relative to their temporal and eternal happiness. This virtue ought to be the distinguishing characteristic of every Free and Accepted Mason, not only for the good regulation of his own life and actions, but as a pious example to the popular world who are not Masons, and ought to be nicely attended to in strange or mixed companies, never to let drop or slip the least Sign, Token, or Word, whereby any of our Masonic secrets might be illegally obtained; ever having in recollection that period of time when he was placed before the Worshipful Master in the East with his left knee made bare and his bent right foot formed in a square while his right hand was placed on the Volume of the Sacred Law
JUSTICE
Is that station or boundary of right, by which we are taught to render to every man his just due, and that without distinction. This virtue is not only consistent with the Divine and human Law, but is the standard and cement of civil society. Without the exercise of this Virtue, universal confusion would ensure, lawless force would overcome the principles of equity, and social intercourse no longer exist; and as justice in a great measure constitutes the really good man, so it ought to be the invariable practice of every Free and Accepted Mason never to deviate from the minutest principles thereof, ever having in mind the time he was placed at the North East part of the Lodge, feet formed in a square being evident, when he received that excellent injunction from the Worshipful Master. to be just and upright in all things; alluding to the Perpendicular.
When, placed at his right hand, he will be pleased to pronounce us just and upright , then shall we be fitted as living stones for that spiritual temple, "that house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens," where no discordant voice shall be heard, but all the soul shall experience shall be perfect bliss, and all it shall express shall be perfect praise, and love divine shall ennoble every heart, and hallelujahs exalted employ every tongue.
“Man of God” is the description given to a man that follows God in every way, who obeys His commands with joy, who does not live for the things of this life but for the things of eternity, who willingly serves his God in giving freely of all his resources yet gladly suffers as a consequence of his faith. Perhaps Micah 6:8 sums up the man of God in one neat verse: “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
The man of God does not swindle or defraud his employer by turning up late for work or spending an hour on the internet during work hours; he doesn’t gossip or slander; he keeps his mind and heart pure by guarding his eyes and ears from the filth of the world; he is the spiritual leader of his family. He does everything opposite to what the world does or approves of; he goes "against the grain" of society because he knows these things displease God; he considers those who are "disadvantaged" or those rejected by society, those who are lonely or despairing; he is a listener to other people’s problems and does not judge.
Most of all, the man of God understands that when our Lord commanded him to "be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48), he is only able to accomplish that because God enables him to be “holy and blameless in his sight” (Ephesians 1:4) through His power and the indwelling of His Spirit. On our own, we are incapable of holiness and perfection, but through Christ who strengthens us, we can "do all things" (Philippians 4:13). The man of God knows that his new nature is that of the righteousness of Christ which was exchanged for our sinful nature at the cross (2 Corinthians 5:17; Philippians 3:9). The final result is that he walks humbly with his God, knowing that he must rely solely upon Him to be able to live to the full and persevere to the end.
Remember Brothers
And Now Faithful
Brethren: When we are about to quit a sacred gathering of friendship and virtue to mix again with the world,
midst its concerns and employments, forget not the duties which you have heard so frequently inculcated and so forcibly, recommended, Be diligent, Prudent, Temperate, Discreet.
These generous principles are to extend further:
Every human being has a claim upon your kind offices. Do good unto all. Recommend it more especially to the "household of the faithful."
Finally, brethren, be ye all of one mind; live in peace; and may the God of Love and Peace delight to dwell with and bless you.
May the blessing of heaven rest upon us!
May brotherly love prevail and every moral and social virtue cement us. Amen!
And Now Faithful
this closing hope ...
- Faith is belief in that which has not been seen with complete trust and confidence (including the virtues!)
- Hope is taking a positive future view, that good will prevail.
- Charity is concern (love)for, and active helping of, others.
- Temperance is moderation of needed things and abstinence from things which are not needed.
- Fortitude Is that noble and steady purport of the soul, which is equally distant from rashness and cowardice.
- Prudence teaches us to regulate our lives and actions according to the dictates of reason.
- Justice Is that station or boundary of right, by which we are taught to render to every man his just due.