Quaker First Love

There is much Quakers should be doing, but they don’t. They live in this world, but they say they don’t (in the world but not of the world). They love to speaks to one another, but what have they said to people in places not especially acceptable; people who dress in different clothing, or pick up cans for money, or spend their day at the park boozing or getting high. It is easier to go to known places to proselytize; but that really isn’t the problem. The problem is what is being proselytized. Is it the Gospel or how to save the earth? Is it God’s voice being heard or man’s voice that is spoken?

I’m sure you have read this parable, The Great Feast, but read it again, asking the Holy Spirit to open to you the meaning. George Fox said not to read Scripture from man but from the Holy Spirit. And that is always what I have done, and have been given amazing openings.

When one of the men sitting at the table heard this, he said to Jesus, “How happy are those who will sit down at the feast in the Kingdom of God!”

Jesus said to him, “There was once a man who was giving a great feast to which he invited many people. When it was time for the feast, he sent his servant to tell his guests, ‘Come, everything is ready!’ But they all began, one after another, to make excuses. The first one told the servant, ‘I have bought a field and must to and look at it; please accept my apologies.’ Another one said, ‘I have bought five pairs of oxen and am on my way to try them out; please accept my apologies.’ And another one said, ‘I have just gotten married, and for that reason I cannot come.’ The servant went back and told all this to his master. The master was furious and said to his servant, ‘Hurry out to the streets and alleys of the town, and bring back the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ Soon the servant said, ‘Your order has been carried out, sir, but there is room for more.’ So the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the country roads and lanes and make people come in, so that my house will be full. I tell you all that none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner!’ “

 

 

 

I wanted to commune with the LORD this day of worship. When the time was open, I blurted inwardly, there is only one God but three that bear record. Inwardly, my eyes saw not a face but Jesus, who stood aside from the Two. He did not speak, but I sought to recall what I had learned of him  from reading scripture. I said to him, Sometimes you are angry; sometimes you are loving and caring. Sometimes you are discussed with the disciples because they can’t understand what you say.

But I know you from the Old Testament, too. I have heard you tell the people to do all they are told; I have heard your anger when they have not done what you had said to them. I have cried from your hurt when Israel and Judah loved their idols instead of you. I understood your anger. I know your strong arm when you liberated your people from Egypt. I saw your hand as the people praise you. I saw your hand across my inward eyes. Amazing. But no one will believe me, except you. I hear of your power. I hear of your love. I hear of the mountain of the LORD and I go there.

Your Voice is in me.

 

Come hear the voice of God. Listen to the Sovereign LORD as he speaks to Ezekiel Chapter 34, because he is speaking to you, too. But first pray the Holy Spirit is with you, to guide you, to teach you, to open to you the meaning of scripture you will read.

If at first you hear nothing that excites you to amazement and joy, don’t be troubled or worried.

Scripture is like a sea of deep meaning. The more you read the Bible the deeper is the LORD’S giving. Make reading the Bible from beginning to end a lifelong passion. There is no other book that beings with God and ends with God. There is no other book that knows man from his beginning to his end. All humanity is God’s great story.