If it wasn't for fortitude, David would not have beaten Goliath! If it wasn't for fortitude, Noah wouldn't have built the ark!
If it wasn't for fortitude then Jesus wouldn't have given up his life for us on the cross!
Fortitude: one of the Four Cardinal Virtues of Christianity, one of the four cardinal virtues of Freemasonry. Fortitude means to have courage. To take heart. To persevere. To look your trials and temptations in the eyes and be willing to rise up against them and continue on in the journey that God has called you to.
Jesus had the option to die or to not. Remember, in Matthew 26:53-54 where Jesus says: " Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?" Jesus had a choice! Just like we do today. If Jesus decided to take the easy way out, then he knew that we would still be held captive by the Law, but he loved us enough to take the high road, to take heart have the fortitude to follow through with what he knew he must do to set us all free!
Fortitude is essential, especially in today's culture. Today we have so many choices and options before us, but it is vital that we stand up and take heart in the choices that are right! It is easy in this country to sit back and allow others to take care of us with welfare and handouts. To sit in our churches and allow others to spiritually feed our families when we are too cowardly to pray with our own wives and children. Masonry teaches us the opposite to be true. Masonry teaches men to stand up for what is right and push through the hard times. It is our job as men, as Christian men and as Masons to provide for our families: 1 Timothy 5:8 "If anyone does not provide for HIS relatives, and especially for HIS immediate family, HE has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." This provision is meant to be as much as a spiritual caretaker as it is a financial and physical caretaker. After all, the Bible states clearly all throughout that we need to provide in all these ways to our spouses and children.
But how do we do that when the going gets tough? What if we don't know how?
Valid questions, I am glad you asked. Well, for starters it DOES start with you. YOU have to make a decision to live a courageous life. YOU have to decide that you are going to provide for your family both physically and spiritually. Next, we pray. We pray for spiritual strength and guidance from the Lord. This is not metaphoric, but a literal strength that comes from the All Mighty. To take this step and trust in the Lord, and lean not on your own strength, but on the strength of the Lord is the largest step to take, and he WILL give it to you. The Bible says that we can do all things, through him who gives us strength (Phil 4:13). This is a promise that we can all have, if we just trust in him and obey. Masonry teaches that we must have fortitude, and Masons can take that any way they would like. As Christians, however, we need to take it as a leading from the Lord. It is by the Lord's guidance and the Lord's strength that we will be able to be courageous. When Noah built the Ark, everyone laughed at him, and everyone mocked him. Noah gained his strength from faith in the Lord. He trusted God and obeyed. And guess what? He was right. He followed through even though it would have been easier to quit and admit that he was wrong. Instead, because of his faith, we are here today - survivors of the flood.
I want to encourage you to be courageous in your life, and to have fortitude when you want to take the easy way out. To be willing to stand up and be courageous when we do wrong and to take our medicine when we need to be corrected. To be courageous enough to go to work every day even when you feel like you don't want to. I encourage you as Masons and as Christians to be courageous enough to live a life worthy of the calling that God has for each and every one of us and to remember it is easier to live by sin then to stand up and live according to the principles ordained by God.
Fortitude is just one of those principles, a principle that requires us to call on the strength of God in order for it to be fulfilled in our own lives. It is because of fortitude that we are even here today and are free under the Grace of Christ!
God Bless you and your journey in Masonry. Ryan
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Temperance
As I stated in my previous post, I am moving forward with a series on the Four Cardinal Virtues as taught in Christendom as well as Masonry. (Note: If you haven't read my previous blog, be sure to read the one just prior to this, before reading on http://freemason4christ.blogspot.com/2010/02/four-cardinal-virtues-of-freemasonry.html ).
My goal in this series is to share with you how the Four Cardinal virtues as taught in Masonry are a very real parallel to Christianity and in fact may, and do in my life, draw you into a closer walk with Christ. That is NOT TO SAY that Masonry is a religion, nor is it "Christian." I am simply sharing with you MY PERSONAL interpretation of them as this is one of the keys to Masonry (an open interpretation - one that you may interpret any way that you would like).
This article shall be on the first of the four. Temperance.
As I have stated previously, and I quote myself: "Jesus was temperate in that He did not give into indulgences of the flesh. Jesus did not give into the temptation of Satan, but instead gave himself over to us! The ones that he loved! Why? To die! Jesus loved us so much that he died for us in order to save us when all he had to do was say "yes" to the devil and be freed from the burden of His love. The same is how we are to be! As natural men we are to give ourselves over to those things that are loved and good. Not to the carnal desires of our flesh and the temptations of vice."
So what exactly is temperance? The dictionary definition of temperance is:
"1.moderation or self-restraint in action, statement, etc.; self-control.
2.habitual moderation in the indulgence of a natural appetite or passion, esp. in the use of alcoholic liquors."
Temperance means to not be addicted to anything. To not allow any carnal desire to take hold of us and become a distraction for us in taking our eyes away from God. This, specifically is how Masonry teaches temperance, as a virtue that encourages us to dedicate our lives to God without distraction and serve our fellow man, especially Mason brothers, without the indulgences of our flesh getting in the way. To me, this is a most wholesome and courageous Christian virtue, one that is to be held dearly and followed intently.
The Bible says in Galatians 5:23 that Self Control is one of the fruits of the Spirit. "(22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23)gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."
Over and over again in the Bible we are taught to not indulge in material things (Luke 7:25), sexual temptation and lust (Ephesians 4:19), alcohol (Ephesians 5:18), the Bible even tells us to not overindulge in revellings and banquets (1Peter 4:3). My point? My point is that temperance is a very Biblical ideal and virtue, one that Masonry teaches as one of the most important aspects to being a real man. A man that is temperate is a man that has self control over his desires.
So these are some examples of what the Bible states we need to withhold FROM, but what about temperance teaches us to DO? How can we move forward in life by being temperate? To always withhold from everything seems like a life of boredom, where does living come into the picture?
Well, temperance is not simply about living a life of sacrifice from all of our desires, not at all. In fact, I believe that temperance teaches us how to live a life of joy and longevity. How? Well, whenever we turn to a different direction in our life, that means that we go towards something else. It doesn't mean that we stop dead in our tracks and stop living, it means we make a better decision. If you are driving down a road towards a cliff and you decide that going off of that cliff is not a good decision you can either stop dead in your tracks and never get to any destination, OR, you can turn the car in a different direction and find a better way to your destination. The destination being an upright and honorable life. A life you can be proud of with no regrets.
For example: Laziness. Our fleshly desire is to stay in bed and be lazy. To not go to work and provide for our families. When we give into our fleshly desire to be lazy then we are are not being temperate because we are overindulging in our fleshly and sinful desire. What are the effects of this? We get fired from our job for not being reliable, and therefore our families suffer financially. Instead being temperate is not simply about the sacrifice of not staying in bed, but it is about making a decision to do something else and give ourselves over to the things that are loved and good. The things that are respectful and upright. Like going to work and dragging your butt out of bed. The consequences of this action? You keep your job and get a promotion because you are reliable and someone the boss can count on while everyone else is giving into the unwholesome desires of their flesh. Thus, your family is provided for and you can be proud that you made the right decision.
The same is true for any other over indulgence like alcohol, sexual desires, excessive materialism and more would cause similar destruction to you and your home, never mind all the innocent bystanders that get in the way. To decide to go against these decisions would be to make a more noble decision, one that would allow your family and those you love to be blessed by your actions instead of broken and hurt by them.
This is an example of a real man. A man that a wife can be proud to call her husband because he thinks of her needs before his own. A man that a child can be proud to call his dad becaue he can look up to the decisions he has made to make his childs life better than his own. A man that Mason's can be proud to call a brother because he emulates the character of a man of God as an example to his fellow brothers and the fraternity.
This is also a trait that a man of Christ should have. A man that is responsible and not giving into drunkenness and debauchery. A man of ethics and morals. A man that puts God, family, and country before all things.
These are the values and virtues that Masonry is all about, and it happens to be the very same things that Christianity stands for and an example of what Christ would look like as well.
"Jesus was temperate in that He did not give into indulgences of the flesh. Jesus did not give into the temptation of Satan, but instead gave himself over to us! The ones that he loved! Why? To die! Jesus loved us so much that he died for us in order to save us when all he had to do was say "yes" to the devil and be freed from the burden of His love. The same is how we are to be! As natural men we are to give ourselves over to those things that are loved and good. Not to the carnal desires of our flesh and the temptations of vice."
These are the values that we should all have. As Masons, and more importantly as Christians.
May God Bless you and keep you secure in him in your pursuit of temperance.
Ryan
My goal in this series is to share with you how the Four Cardinal virtues as taught in Masonry are a very real parallel to Christianity and in fact may, and do in my life, draw you into a closer walk with Christ. That is NOT TO SAY that Masonry is a religion, nor is it "Christian." I am simply sharing with you MY PERSONAL interpretation of them as this is one of the keys to Masonry (an open interpretation - one that you may interpret any way that you would like).
This article shall be on the first of the four. Temperance.
As I have stated previously, and I quote myself: "Jesus was temperate in that He did not give into indulgences of the flesh. Jesus did not give into the temptation of Satan, but instead gave himself over to us! The ones that he loved! Why? To die! Jesus loved us so much that he died for us in order to save us when all he had to do was say "yes" to the devil and be freed from the burden of His love. The same is how we are to be! As natural men we are to give ourselves over to those things that are loved and good. Not to the carnal desires of our flesh and the temptations of vice."
So what exactly is temperance? The dictionary definition of temperance is:
"1.moderation or self-restraint in action, statement, etc.; self-control.
2.habitual moderation in the indulgence of a natural appetite or passion, esp. in the use of alcoholic liquors."
Temperance means to not be addicted to anything. To not allow any carnal desire to take hold of us and become a distraction for us in taking our eyes away from God. This, specifically is how Masonry teaches temperance, as a virtue that encourages us to dedicate our lives to God without distraction and serve our fellow man, especially Mason brothers, without the indulgences of our flesh getting in the way. To me, this is a most wholesome and courageous Christian virtue, one that is to be held dearly and followed intently.
The Bible says in Galatians 5:23 that Self Control is one of the fruits of the Spirit. "(22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23)gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."
Over and over again in the Bible we are taught to not indulge in material things (Luke 7:25), sexual temptation and lust (Ephesians 4:19), alcohol (Ephesians 5:18), the Bible even tells us to not overindulge in revellings and banquets (1Peter 4:3). My point? My point is that temperance is a very Biblical ideal and virtue, one that Masonry teaches as one of the most important aspects to being a real man. A man that is temperate is a man that has self control over his desires.
So these are some examples of what the Bible states we need to withhold FROM, but what about temperance teaches us to DO? How can we move forward in life by being temperate? To always withhold from everything seems like a life of boredom, where does living come into the picture?
Well, temperance is not simply about living a life of sacrifice from all of our desires, not at all. In fact, I believe that temperance teaches us how to live a life of joy and longevity. How? Well, whenever we turn to a different direction in our life, that means that we go towards something else. It doesn't mean that we stop dead in our tracks and stop living, it means we make a better decision. If you are driving down a road towards a cliff and you decide that going off of that cliff is not a good decision you can either stop dead in your tracks and never get to any destination, OR, you can turn the car in a different direction and find a better way to your destination. The destination being an upright and honorable life. A life you can be proud of with no regrets.
For example: Laziness. Our fleshly desire is to stay in bed and be lazy. To not go to work and provide for our families. When we give into our fleshly desire to be lazy then we are are not being temperate because we are overindulging in our fleshly and sinful desire. What are the effects of this? We get fired from our job for not being reliable, and therefore our families suffer financially. Instead being temperate is not simply about the sacrifice of not staying in bed, but it is about making a decision to do something else and give ourselves over to the things that are loved and good. The things that are respectful and upright. Like going to work and dragging your butt out of bed. The consequences of this action? You keep your job and get a promotion because you are reliable and someone the boss can count on while everyone else is giving into the unwholesome desires of their flesh. Thus, your family is provided for and you can be proud that you made the right decision.
The same is true for any other over indulgence like alcohol, sexual desires, excessive materialism and more would cause similar destruction to you and your home, never mind all the innocent bystanders that get in the way. To decide to go against these decisions would be to make a more noble decision, one that would allow your family and those you love to be blessed by your actions instead of broken and hurt by them.
This is an example of a real man. A man that a wife can be proud to call her husband because he thinks of her needs before his own. A man that a child can be proud to call his dad becaue he can look up to the decisions he has made to make his childs life better than his own. A man that Mason's can be proud to call a brother because he emulates the character of a man of God as an example to his fellow brothers and the fraternity.
This is also a trait that a man of Christ should have. A man that is responsible and not giving into drunkenness and debauchery. A man of ethics and morals. A man that puts God, family, and country before all things.
These are the values and virtues that Masonry is all about, and it happens to be the very same things that Christianity stands for and an example of what Christ would look like as well.
"Jesus was temperate in that He did not give into indulgences of the flesh. Jesus did not give into the temptation of Satan, but instead gave himself over to us! The ones that he loved! Why? To die! Jesus loved us so much that he died for us in order to save us when all he had to do was say "yes" to the devil and be freed from the burden of His love. The same is how we are to be! As natural men we are to give ourselves over to those things that are loved and good. Not to the carnal desires of our flesh and the temptations of vice."
These are the values that we should all have. As Masons, and more importantly as Christians.
May God Bless you and keep you secure in him in your pursuit of temperance.
Ryan
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
The Four Cardinal Virtues of Freemasonry
Since I have started this blog I have recognized that all I have blogged about are the things that Freemasonry is NOT. So, I decided to take a break from the "debate" and share with you some of the things that Freemasonry IS and how those things so easily may mesh with MY faith in Christ. I will be doing a series of posts all on the Four Cardinal Virtues of Christianity, and I will be expounding on them one by one as to encourage the readers of this site in their daily walk as Christians, AND and as Freemasons. My hope is that if you are unfamiliar with these virtues then you will become familiar with them and implement them into your life. If you are already familiar with these virtues, my hope is that you will have a greater ability to apply them to your own life - Christian or NOT.
Now, it's no "Secret" that the Four Cardinal Virtues of Christianity are also taught and stood upon in Freemasonry. Those four cardinal virtues being: Temperance, Prudence, Fortitude and Justice. For starters let me just say that I don't want to speak for Masonry, as I have stated before, for there is no one person or organization who speaks on behalf of all Masonry. HOWEVER, I will speak for myself and share with you MY thoughts on the Four Cardinal Virtues and what they mean to me as a Christian and if you feel encouraged then you may apply them to your own life in a similar way. Remember, Freemasonry is about making a good man better, whether you are a Christian, Buddhist, or a Muslim.
CS Lewis, in his book Mere Christianity spends a great deal of time discussing the Four Cardinal Virtues of Christianity as he says referring them: “They are PRUDENCE, TEMPERANCE, JUSTICE, and FORTITUDE.”
St. Augustine in his great work "The City of God" which I have been reading a lot as of late says the following: "For these four virtues, I should have no hesitation in defining them: that temperance is love giving itself entirely to that which is loved; fortitude is love readily bearing all things for the sake of the loved object; justice is love serving only the loved object, and therefore ruling rightly; prudence is love distinguishing with sagacity between what hinders it and what helps it."
King Solomon himself, the hero of Freemasonry, says in Wisdom of Solomon 8:2: "And if a man love righteousness her labours are virtues: for she teacheth temperance and prudence, justice and fortitude: which are such things, as men can have nothing more profitable in their life."
There are many other quotes from the church fathers, or spiritual leaders concerning these virtues but I will not bore you to death (I hope it is not too late). Rather you get the point that these virtues are a template for many Christians. I would not agree or disagree that these are a template for me, but none the less they are extremely profitable for any man to increase his "moral excellence," as the Apostle Peter says (2 Peter 1:5), which shall be added to his faith in God.
What makes these virtues so applicable to masonry, never mind Christianity, is that they can be practiced by anyone. When Plato spoke about these virtues he stated that they represented the foundation of natural morality. In other words, these virtues are what any good man was born to practice!
I stated that I will expound on these further, but let's take a quick look at the definition of these virtues. Now, there is the dictionary definition, Plato's definition, Thomas Aquinas' definition, but yet I will choose to use St. Augustine's definition of the virtues. Why? Because I can! :) I believe that his definition is the best for me, and therefore you are free to use any definition you choose is best for you.
Augustine said, and I am using the same quote I used earlier: "temperance is love giving itself entirely to that which is loved; fortitude is love readily bearing all things for the sake of the loved object; justice is love serving only the loved object, and therefore ruling rightly; prudence is love distinguishing with sagacity between what hinders it and what helps it."
This sounds a lot like what Christ did for me!
Jesus was temperate in that He did not give into indulgences of the flesh. Jesus did not give into the temptation of Satan, but instead gave himself over to us! The ones that he loved! Why? To die! Jesus loved us so much that he died for us in order to save us when all he had to do was say "yes" to the devil and be freed from the burden of His love. The same is how we are to be! As natural men we are to give ourselves over to those things that are loved and good. Not to the carnal desires of our flesh and the temptations of vice.
Jesus was the definition of fortitude when he gave his life up for us. Jesus, if you remember his struggles carrying his device of death through the streets and to the top of the hill, when men were spitting on him and mocking him. Jesus fought through the pain and humiliation when he could very easily decided that it was too tough and go home. We also need to celebrate the virtue of fortitude in our lives by fighting through the difficulties of life when we want to quit yet have families at home that need to be fed and cared for.
May you be Blessed, Ryan
Now, it's no "Secret" that the Four Cardinal Virtues of Christianity are also taught and stood upon in Freemasonry. Those four cardinal virtues being: Temperance, Prudence, Fortitude and Justice. For starters let me just say that I don't want to speak for Masonry, as I have stated before, for there is no one person or organization who speaks on behalf of all Masonry. HOWEVER, I will speak for myself and share with you MY thoughts on the Four Cardinal Virtues and what they mean to me as a Christian and if you feel encouraged then you may apply them to your own life in a similar way. Remember, Freemasonry is about making a good man better, whether you are a Christian, Buddhist, or a Muslim.
Encyclopedia.com defines the Four Cardinal Virtues as such: "Cardinal virtues (Lat., cardo, ‘hinge’). Four particular virtues in Christianity, on which all others are said to depend: prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance."
CS Lewis, in his book Mere Christianity spends a great deal of time discussing the Four Cardinal Virtues of Christianity as he says referring them: “They are PRUDENCE, TEMPERANCE, JUSTICE, and FORTITUDE.”
St. Augustine in his great work "The City of God" which I have been reading a lot as of late says the following: "For these four virtues, I should have no hesitation in defining them: that temperance is love giving itself entirely to that which is loved; fortitude is love readily bearing all things for the sake of the loved object; justice is love serving only the loved object, and therefore ruling rightly; prudence is love distinguishing with sagacity between what hinders it and what helps it."
King Solomon himself, the hero of Freemasonry, says in Wisdom of Solomon 8:2: "And if a man love righteousness her labours are virtues: for she teacheth temperance and prudence, justice and fortitude: which are such things, as men can have nothing more profitable in their life."
There are many other quotes from the church fathers, or spiritual leaders concerning these virtues but I will not bore you to death (I hope it is not too late). Rather you get the point that these virtues are a template for many Christians. I would not agree or disagree that these are a template for me, but none the less they are extremely profitable for any man to increase his "moral excellence," as the Apostle Peter says (2 Peter 1:5), which shall be added to his faith in God.
What makes these virtues so applicable to masonry, never mind Christianity, is that they can be practiced by anyone. When Plato spoke about these virtues he stated that they represented the foundation of natural morality. In other words, these virtues are what any good man was born to practice!
I stated that I will expound on these further, but let's take a quick look at the definition of these virtues. Now, there is the dictionary definition, Plato's definition, Thomas Aquinas' definition, but yet I will choose to use St. Augustine's definition of the virtues. Why? Because I can! :) I believe that his definition is the best for me, and therefore you are free to use any definition you choose is best for you.
Augustine said, and I am using the same quote I used earlier: "temperance is love giving itself entirely to that which is loved; fortitude is love readily bearing all things for the sake of the loved object; justice is love serving only the loved object, and therefore ruling rightly; prudence is love distinguishing with sagacity between what hinders it and what helps it."
This sounds a lot like what Christ did for me!
Jesus was temperate in that He did not give into indulgences of the flesh. Jesus did not give into the temptation of Satan, but instead gave himself over to us! The ones that he loved! Why? To die! Jesus loved us so much that he died for us in order to save us when all he had to do was say "yes" to the devil and be freed from the burden of His love. The same is how we are to be! As natural men we are to give ourselves over to those things that are loved and good. Not to the carnal desires of our flesh and the temptations of vice. 
Jesus was the definition of fortitude when he gave his life up for us. Jesus, if you remember his struggles carrying his device of death through the streets and to the top of the hill, when men were spitting on him and mocking him. Jesus fought through the pain and humiliation when he could very easily decided that it was too tough and go home. We also need to celebrate the virtue of fortitude in our lives by fighting through the difficulties of life when we want to quit yet have families at home that need to be fed and cared for. 
Jesus showed us what it was to be just in every way possible. He was the supreme upright and just man who came out of the light into the darkness to serve the sinner and fellowship with tax collectors. Yet he had the power of God to condemn or forgive. We too need to walk uprightly as just citizens and just men by balancing our lives accordingly and therefore being representative, not only of the fraternity of Freemasonry, but as Christians, representative of Christ.
Finally, prudence. Augustine has said about prudence: "...what prudence preaches, temperance puts into practice." There was no other moral authority greater than Jesus himself. It is by his words and his life that we find our true direction. It is imperative that we think before we act and to take the time to meditate upon our actions. To find true wisdom from the word of God and from the lessons learned in masonry so that we can have the ability to be prudent in our actions and therefore temperate when it comes to subduing our passions.
To anyone who believes that these are not virtues found in the purity of God's heart then you need a theology checkup. These virtues are the backbone to masonry and it is the same truth and foundation that all children of God should be raised upon. Whether you are a Christian, a Muslim, even an Atheist, it is hard to disagree with the sound morals taught in Freemasonry.
I pray that you will stick with me through the next few posts as we can grow together and encourage one another by digging deeper into these wonderful virtues which God has so gloriously laid out for us.
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