Key West is an interesting place to witness.  Scores of tourists flock to the tiny island each winter to escape the northern cold, or perhaps escape the confines of more conservative communities.  It’s definitely a place where nearly anything goes.  After a night of interesting conversations with partiers along Duvall Street, I continued witnessing the next day among crowds of shoppers.  Sadly, when late afternoon came it was time to head back to the mainland.

Before leaving, I wanted a few farewell photos but needed another SD card.  As I was driving to find one, I found myself behind a fairly new pickup truck with Masonic symbols all over the tail gate.  The license plate even had the Masonic compass and square emblem embossed on it.  I thought to myself, ‘Oh this guy is really into Freemasonry!’  Then I said, “Lord, I’d love to talk to this guy because I bet he’s a 33rd degree Mason.” No sooner had I prayed that, than this pickup truck pulled over!  And uncharacteristic of Key West parking, there was actually a space for me to pull in behind him, which I did!  Shooting up a quick arrow prayer I said, “Lord thanks so much and please help me.”

I quickly got out of my car and walked up to this older gentleman with white hair and a friendly demeanor to say, “Hi!  I noticed the Masonic symbols on the back of your pickup truck and wondered if you’re a Mason.  Are you a Freemason?”  This gentleman said, “Yes.”  I said, “Sir, do you mind that I ask if you are you a 33 rd degree Mason?”  He said, “Yes, I’m a 33 rd degree Mason.”  I said, “I’ve always wanted to ask questions of a 33rd degree Mason.  Would you mind if I asked you some questions?”  He said, “Sure, I don’t mind that you ask, if you don’t mind that I don’t answer.”  Thinking fast I said, “Sir, I understand you’re under oath and I won’t ask you questions you aren’t supposed to answer.”  Thankfully, he agreed to chat a few minutes.

My first question, which I’d been anxious to ask for some time was if there were other orders inside the 33rd degree.  He said there were many other orders for the person who is invited to become a 33rd degree Mason.  I already knew the Entered Apprentice can work their way up to the 32nd degree, and must be invited into the 33rd degree. Then he volunteered that he came from a long line of Masons.  Apparently his father, grandfather and great grandfather were all Masons.  Not only that, he had multiple brothers who were all Freemasons.  Then he proudly announced he had been the Master of his Lodge.  I clarified, “You mean the Worshipful Master of your Lodge?”  He said, “Yes, the Worshipful Master of the Lodge, but a year ago or so, and not currently.”

Wondering why I was so curious, he asked about my interest in Masonry.  I told him I was a born again Christian who liked to ask questions about what people believe and why.  He then declared that he too was a Christian who believed he was saved and on his way to heaven.  To back up that claim, he shared that one of his brothers was a minister in a Protestant denominational church.  As is typical in Masonry, he went on to explain how he believed all religions worship the same God.  I asked, “Sir how can that be true when Allah, the god of Islam which figures prominently in Masonry, says he has no son yet Christianity focuses exclusively on God’s Son, Jesus Christ?”

Sidestepping the question, he asked what denomination I belonged to.  I explained I was more in line with Baptist beliefs. He let me know that most Baptists oppose Masons to which I replied, “That hasn’t been my understanding at all, but actually quite the opposite.”

Knowing that Masons pride themselves on their morality I asked, “Sir, do you consider yourself to be a moral person?”  He said, “Absolutely.”  Asking further I said, “Isn’t the whole point of Masonry, to better one’s self through the acquiring of knowledge?”  I mentioned how the stair steps in Masonic lodge rooms are labeled with various pursuits of knowledge and educational disciplines. Then I named their two pillars, Jachin (in his counsel) and Boaz (by his strength) plagiarized from the Bible (1 Kings 7:21) that confirmed this pursuit as well.

Apparently my understanding of these things caught his attention, “You’ve been doing some studying about Masonry.”  I said, “Well, yes, but I’m from Salt Lake City and know something about Freemasonry because Mormonism is nearly a carbon copy of it.  See, I could give you all of your secret handshakes because they’re identical to the handshakes of Mormonism.”  He was silent.  I went on to explain how some even wonder if Joseph Smith stole the rituals of Freemasonry to perhaps bind the budding practice of polygamy under its oaths of secrecy.  And not only that, when Joseph Smith was assassinated in the Carthage jail, it was quite possible that Masons in the murderous mob were coming to execute him for having violated the death oath he had taken that swore him to secrecy.  Joseph Smith flagrantly instituted Masonic rituals into the Mormon Temple ceremonies.

Then I asked, “Sir, do you consider yourself a person of integrity?”  He said, “Impeccable integrity.”  I continued, “I often talk to people about whether they are as moral and upright as they think they are.  Would you mind if I ask you a few more questions?”  He agreed, so I ran him through the good person test of the Ten Commandments.  Like the rest of us, he didn’t pass.  He realized he was guilty of sin.

Suddenly taking charge of the discussion he said, “I want you to know that I have a final word for you.”  Still needing to give him the gospel I replied, “Well that would be fine, but I have a final word for you too.”  He responded by saying, “You give me your final word because when I give you mine, I’m not saying another word.”   I said, “Fair enough.”

Then I proceeded to give him the gospel explaining that being good can’t take anyone to heaven and his “goodness” could not remove the sin he had just been convicted of.  I posed this question, “If being good could take a person to heaven, then why did Jesus have to die?”  I explained that God won’t allow sin in heaven and being good can’t remove sin.  I shared how the Bible teaches that the only thing that removes sin is a perfect blood sacrifice, which only the biblical Jesus provided.  I clarified how a sinful man can’t pay for his own sins, that sacrifice is required because the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23) and only the blood of Christ cleanses away sins.

Driving the point home further, I said, “Sir, unless you repent of your sins, and place faith in the blood of Jesus Christ shed for you on the cross, you will be found guilty of idolatry and blasphemy on judgment day because you have allowed yourself to be worshipped as the Worshipful Master of your lodge.  Worship is reserved for Jesus Christ and Him alone.”

After listening politely, he asked if I was finished.  I answered cheerfully, “Yes, I’m finished.”  He looked me in the eye and said in dead serious tones, “And my final word to you is this; that I have drunk blood from the holy grail” and off he walked.  I was not prepared for that!  My jaw hit the ground!  I was totally taken off guard.  Quickly pulling myself together from the shock, I called out to him as he crossed the street, “SIR, THAT BLOOD WILL NOT CLEANSE YOU OF YOUR SIN.  YOU WILL STILL BE FOUND GUILTY ON JUDGMENT DAY!”  He looked back at me with arms in the air and shoulders shrugging saying, “I told you that would be my final word!”  And then he was gone.

My head was spinning!  Thoughts of disease and defilement flooded my mind.  How could this man be so convinced he was a Christian, yet be proud of drinking blood?  Was he so deluded that he didn’t realize how satanic that is?  Did he intend to prove to me that I didn’t know as much about Freemasonry as I thought I did?  I’ve since learned this man actually revealed part of the secret 33rd degree initiation rite.  Apparently, their holy grail is a human skull where real blood is mixed with wine. The blindfolded initiate is given this mixture to drink as twelve other 33rd degree Masons stand around him with drawn swords at his neck.  If you think to pray for this man, whose name I didn’t catch, he needs conviction for his sin.  How moral can he really be?   How powerful is self-deception!